the rerap company
What started as a thrift store for sarees in 2021 has grown to include upcycled weaves in home furnishings and table linens such as table cloths, placemats, table runners, coasters, cushion covers and more. “We also design wine bags, Christmas ornaments and bunting,” says Deepa Balaji, co-founder of the initiative, which is run by a women-led team. He says that his most recent project involved making Christmas ornaments from Indian fabrics such as brocade and Banaras silk, and was well received. “We try to keep an ethnic touch alive in all our products, and we are currently making fabric belts to go with sarees, dresses or even denim,” she adds.
Upcycled Coasters by The ReWrap Company | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
DIY Repair Tip: Co-Founder Manasi Karra Says You Should Invest in Fixing Small Holes Rafu Method by your local tailor. “You can freshen up an old saree by adding new lace to hide minor stains and holes. There are a few precautions you can take like folding your sarees neatly and keeping them in saree bags made of pure fabric to slow down the damage caused by time,” she says, referring to silk and weaves with zari, You have to open and refill them annually. Folds to replace if they are not being used for a long time.
Between ₹100 to ₹5,000. rewrap.store
R2 quilt
Bengaluru-based Bishakha Raviraj, who has been recycling sarees for almost a decade, took to the art because of her six-month-old daughter. “That was my inspiration, because I wanted to make something for her myself because there were expensive baby quilts in the market,” says the artist who runs Rag to Quilt from her home. Portraits and patchwork quilts aside, Bishakha has created wall art (using the Kavandi quilting technique), bedspreads and diwan covers made from heritage saris donated by clients, and is currently wrapping up an art quilt based on depression and mental health .
An upcycled quilt by R2 Quilts | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
DIY Repair Tip: Bishakha suggests reinforcing zari borders with falls as they tend to shrink soon. “To strengthen the saree, apply another layer of cotton cloth all over the border. All you need are basic sewing skills and a humble needle and thread,” she says.
Above ₹1,800. @r2quilts on Instagram
copy across
Recently, a customer handed over her wedding sarees, a gorgeous blue silk weave, to Neha Mokal – Kolkata-based craft store, Kopai Paar. “The fabric would be rare to find today,” says Neha, who turned it into a large bedspread that the customer gifted to her daughter as a present on her wedding day. “It is very rewarding for us to be a part of something like this. The joy of these projects comes from the memories and feelings associated with heritage sarees. There are so many stories around them, and somewhere we help our customers keep those memories alive,” says Neha, who started the upcycled saree initiative four years ago.
A creation of Kopai Paar. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Now, sarees have been transformed into vibrant kantha blankets, cushions, bedspreads and bed runners. “We wanted to encourage our customers to be a part of the upcycle movement instead of just buying something off the shelf. Somewhere, when rapid consumerism gripped us, we forgot these age-old traditions, but now is the time to bring them back,” she says.
DIY Repair Tip: If you have basic sewing experience, Neha says it’s a great idea to make a patchwork throw using old clothes. “It can be done without a sewing machine and it’s fun to mix different patches of fabric and sew it into one little throw.”
Bedspreads from ₹1,750 onwards and cushions starting from ₹850 are available at kopaipaar.com.
A creation by Mae Studio | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
my studio
Jayta Rohilla of New Delhi-based clothing label Mai says she has a soft spot for Banaras sarees. As someone who has been remanufacturing and recycling knits for about five years, she says, “Some of them were difficult to cut; they are very beautiful. Now, we can’t wear them more than once in a decade and this concept of keeping our sarees tucked away in the cupboard doesn’t sound so good to them. Upcycling them gets more sarees out of the closet!” Designing puffer jackets, bombers, hoodies, crop jackets, dresses, co-ord sets and crop tops along with sarees, Jayta also takes custom orders. “Recently, a friend got her mother-in-law’s sarees made into a dress for herself and a bomber jacket for her husband. It’s beautiful how you can wear the same fabric in a silhouette that you pair with more,” says the designer who is now experimenting with lingerie. “We are working on a collection called Subhaga Raat Wear 2.0 in black.”
DIY Repair Tip: If the silver has lost its charm, Jayta suggests rubbing some lemon over it. “It works wonders. And always removes stains from sarees properly.”
Above ₹9,000 at mae.co.in