Hello there! Hope you all are doing good. Have you ever wondered what happens to the tailoring waste and where those pieces of clothes end up? This was the question I asked my cousin, Namrutha, as part of my creative writing programme’s assignment. Namrutha is an ecopreneur and she runs a venture called Upcyclie where they make home decor and fabric accessories from tailoring waste. I loved her initiative and I thought it would be fun to interview her. I hope you all enjoy reading it!

(Here S refers to me, Shreshta, and N refers to Namrutha)

S- Firstly, thank you for agreeing to get interviewed by me. Let’s get started!

1) What, according to you, is the major threat to the environment?

N- Major threat to the environment is waste in every way possible. Waste cannot be avoided. Waste getting accumulated pollutes the earth.

S- I agree with you. Waste is the biggest threat to the Earth.

2) How did you come with the idea of starting your own brand called Upcyclie?

N- I got the idea from my grandmother. I saw her making masks from her old nightgowns. I wondered if one can create value out of waste from one corner of Chennai, I wanted to know what tailors around are doing with the waste. I saw them throwing out the waste and summed up that it was a lack of time, resources and ideas. I had to understand the process and thought that someone should clean up the waste and realised that it should be me. That is how I came up with Upcyclie.

S- Wow, that sounds interesting!

3) What drew you towards the bits and rags of clothes?

N- I am trained in tailoring though I was taught by my mother and grandmother. Clothes do not have a proper solution and I figured out that I should find the solution. That is how I was drawn to the tailoring wastes.

S- 4) What can a commoner do to help the environment?

N- Firstly, one should understand what he or she buys, they need to look at the materials used to make the cloth. They need to think of the longevity of the cloth. One needs to ask himself/herself questions and think before buying a piece of clothing.

S- This is something that I will definitely follow the next time I go to buy clothes.

5) Do you think the government is giving importance to dealing with this situation?

N- Yes, the government has been giving importance. For instance, debris from buildings becomes bricks and a circle gets created. Single-use plastic is going to be banned from July 2022. Solid Waste Management (SWM) is being implemented. Clothing has not got a proper solution yet. But if that is going to be figured out, we will have a complete circle.

S- 6) Who has been your role model? And in what ways has he/she inspired you?

N- I have not come across many people whom I can call role models but Ms Anika Parashar, who is the founder and CEO of The Woman’s Company, is very inspirational. She has been working on making women’s products like sanitary napkins and tampons sustainable. My other inspiration is the women I work with, whom I call Akkas. They make beautiful pieces out of the cloth wastes.

S- I have read about Ms Anika Parashar; she is very inspiring.

7) What is your message for the coming generations?

N- You need to put effort to reach your place. Never hesitate and overthink what the others would say. ‘Yes,’ and ‘No’ should be handled in the same way. Chase your dreams and give your best!

S- Very powerful sentences! Thank you again for joining me!

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Thank you for reading! I hope that after reading this interview, you will think twice and analyse before buying a new piece of cloth. Here is the link to Upcylcie again if you would like to check it out- https://www.instagram.com/upcyclie/?hl=en Do share your views in the comments 😊