From Waste to Wardrobe: How 'I Was a Sari' is Contributing to the Upcycled Fashion

As mentioned in the report "Wealth in Waste: India's Potential to Lead Circular Textile Sourcing" by Fashion for Good, India is currently grappling with an alarming surge in textile waste, producing close to 7,800 kilotonnes of discarded clothing and fabric every year. Amidst this crisis, one Mumbai-based label is stitching together an inspiring story of reinvention. ‘I Was a Sari’, founded in 2013 by Stefano Funari, an Italian entrepreneur, is transforming the fashion landscape by giving discarded sarees a second chance. Instead of ending up in landfills, these once-loved garments are reimagined as bold, modern clothing and accessories, each piece carrying traces of its past life.

But this initiative isn’t just about sustainable style—it’s about social change. In collaboration with grassroots organisations, the brand trains women from low-income backgrounds in embroidery, stitching, and other textile crafts. These women, many of whom had limited access to formal employment, now find a path to financial independence and creative empowerment through the brand’s workshops. As of now, the project has breathed new life into over 1.7 million square meters of fabric and offered meaningful work to more than 300 women in the process.

The brand’s fresh approach to circular fashion has received significant recognition. It won the Circular Design Challenge at Lakmé Fashion Week and even received backing from global luxury giant Gucci, which acknowledged its potential to bring sustainability and inclusivity into mainstream fashion. In a world increasingly wary of the environmental cost of fast fashion, I Was a Sari is proving that the future of clothing lies not in mass production, but in upcycled fabrics, artisan hands, and stories that endure.

Reimagining Tradition, Restitching the Planet

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At its essence, I Was a Sari is not just a fashion label—it’s a conscious movement redefining what sustainability can look like in the Indian context. The brand collects discarded sarees from local markets and repurposes them into vibrant, contemporary garments and lifestyle products. In doing so, it reduces the amount of textile waste entering landfills and slows down the demand for new fabric production, which typically involves large-scale water use, dyeing chemicals, and pollution-heavy processes. By embracing the philosophy of reuse, the brand offers a powerful alternative to the fast fashion cycle.

But the environmental benefits are only one side of the story. What truly sets the brand apart is its social mission. In partnership with grassroots NGOs, the brand offers training in tailoring and embroidery to women from underserved communities, many of whom are entering the workforce for the first time. These women become co-creators in the process, gaining financial security and a sense of pride in their craftsmanship. Each product that leaves the workshop carries not just a new identity, but the story of transformation—for the fabric, the artisan, and the fashion industry at large.

Bridging the Gap: From Exclusion to Empowerment

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While India’s rural economy is often romanticised as the backbone of the nation, the persistent exclusion of women from its formal workforce tells a different story. Despite a reported rise in rural female labour force participation, this figure obscures the reality that much of this participation is informal, underpaid, or unrecognised. A majority of rural women remain confined to unpaid domestic work or agricultural labour without any social security or economic mobility. The barriers are both visible and invisible, ranging from a lack of access to education, skill training, and digital tools to entrenched gender norms that dictate where and how women should work. Add concerns around personal safety, poor transport infrastructure, and limited availability of dignified jobs, and it becomes evident why rural women remain underrepresented in India’s growth story.

This is where I Was a Sari intervenes—not as a token CSR project, but as a full-fledged social innovation. By training women from marginalised communities in embroidery, tailoring, and design, the initiative provides them with marketable skills and stable income streams within the sustainable fashion industry. Unlike conventional factories, clothing venture fosters inclusive, safe workspaces that value the artisan’s identity and labour. These women aren’t hidden behind a supply chain—they are front and centre of the brand’s narrative, celebrated as creators and contributors. In doing so, the brand challenges the prevailing norms that restrict women to the sidelines and instead creates an economic ecosystem where they can thrive. It repositions employment not merely as labour, but as empowerment, where each upcycled saree is stitched not just with thread, but with opportunity, recognition, and change.

Quiet Luxury Meets Conscious Craft

In recent years, the fashion industry has seen a shift from overt logos and fast trends to something more meaningful—quiet luxury. It’s not just about minimalism or muted tones; it’s about clothing that speaks softly but profoundly, valuing craftsmanship, origin, and ethical production over brand-name bravado. Celebrities, both Indian and internationally acclaimed, have been spotted championing sustainable fashion, donning upcycled, handwoven, or ethically made garments on red carpets and public forums. This global embrace of mindful fashion is quietly rewriting the definition of luxury, and I Was a Sari is right at the heart of this evolution.

Crafted from vintage sarees that once told stories of everyday life, rituals, and memories, I Was a Sari pieces are not mass-produced fashion statements—they are wearable archives, individually reborn through skilled hands and sustainable intent.

Take the Gold Love Bomber Jacket, for example. Made from reclaimed saree fabric, it’s bold yet soft, featuring the word “Love” embroidered in Aari threadwork across the back—a traditional craft now being mastered by women previously excluded from such skilled trades. The jacket seamlessly blends Mumbai streetwear energy with artisanal detail, making it a conversation starter in any wardrobe.

Or consider the Playsuit with Lace, a piece that’s both playful and poised. With rich saree colours meeting delicate lace accents, it’s a garment made for movement, perfect for festivals, brunches, or simply owning your space with flair. It reminds us that sustainability doesn’t mean sacrificing joy or style.

For those constantly on the move, the Travel Set offers a practical yet beautiful solution. Comprising three differently sized pouches stitched from upcycled sarees, it’s ideal for organising travel essentials with flair. Each pouch, like a keepsake, carries the texture and colour of its former life, turning even your luggage into a canvas for conscious living.

Finally, the Light Turban is more than an accessory—it’s an assertion. Wrapped in vibrant patterns and sewn by hand, this turban is a bold nod to heritage, identity, and slow fashion’s future. Whether paired with contemporary wear or traditional outfits, it adds character without demanding attention.

With every collection, I Was a Sari shows that luxury today can mean more than just high prices or big names—it can reflect meaningful origins, thoughtful design, and social impact. As awareness grows around fashion’s environmental footprint and its role in shaping livelihoods, brands like this offer a quieter, more conscious way forward, transforming the saree not just in form, but in purpose.