Professional Documents
Culture Documents
I Was A Sari
I Was A Sari
com
Working at an NGO in Mumbai, Italian this brand. Hence, the name I was a sari
designer Stefano Funari observed that came into existence.
the NGO was funded well but was not Each Sari that goes through this met-
able to sustain it. This economical in- amorphosis has a story to tell; of how
stability of the NGO worked as seed to it got re-invented, and how the women
open a venture that would help the NGO re-inventing it went through their own
and eventually the women associated transformational journey of empower-
with it. This venture took shape in the ment and financial independence.
form of a private limited company that
runs a brand called I was a sari.
I was a Sari is a slow and sustainable Sustainable practices:
fashion and accessories label based out
I was a sari was built on an idea of cre-
of Mumbai. The label upcycles India’s
ating avenues for economical sustaina-
most favourite textile- Saris and turns
bility of an NGO and hence it has been
them into various lifestyle products. The
following all the steps that leads towards
Sari and upcycling are the core pillars of
a sustainable brand. The brand is ma-
jorly involved in empowering women
and giving them employment; eventual-
ly trying to empower children of these
women. The label has collaborated with
two NGOs CORP- community Out-
reach program and ACT- Andheri Char-
ity Trust. Here the collaboration is not
just limited to provide vocational train-
ing to the women associated with these
NGOs but also providing work after the Employed women in the studio.
training period is over. source: self clicked
Invisible materials:
While speaking about the environmen-
tal sustainability, the invisible materials
for this brand are electricity, fuel, water
etc. The unit is set up in a commercial
complex- Wadala Udhyog Bhawan. By
Stocked Saris in the studio doing this the brand has managed to cut
source: self clicked down cost on construction and other as-
By upcycling the pre owned saris; the pects. The work palce is utilized well.
brand incorporates the recycling aspects The space is designed in a way that it
of sustainability. The core idea becomes functions well.
expanding the life cycle of the fabric Throughout the work process, fuel as an
by reusing it and creating different prod- invisible material is used at most. The
ucts. The effect of these products is that work flow is such where the pre-own sa-
the fabric which was discarded by their ris are brought to the studio in Wadala.
owner is being used again and the time After the quality check and other pro-
of getting into landfill is delayed. cesses all these fabrics are sent to the
production units situated in Andheri,
The brand also deals with the remains Dharavi, Thane and Jogeshwari. All the
or ‘Chindi’ fabrics left out after using it employed women visit these units as per
for making products. These Chindi fab- their schedule. The finished garment is
rics are donated to another NGO called then sent back to the studio in wadala
‘Gunj’. Gunj works with chindi fabrics
procured from fashion labels and appar-
el manufacturers and makes low- cost,
eco friendly sanitary pads. By this col-
laboration, I was a Sari achieves their
zero waste policy.