“I used to be a reckless consumer of fast fashion. Working in a city with a decent salary and no responsibilities, I thought it was fair for me to mindlessly indulge in material possessions without thinking of its large-scale impact. After working a couple of years, I decided to pursue my post graduation in Fashion Communication where I learnt about the dark side of fashion – of how there is so much abuse and exploitation that the workers toiling in sweatshops have to go through to mass produce clothing sold under labels of the world’s biggest fast fashion giants, of how much global waste the fashion industry contributes to. Being aware of this and not doing anything to address it felt wrong – which is one of the biggest reasons The Baksa Project was born.
The Baksa Project is a personal project where my aim is to repurpose what I already own; what my mother and my grandmother have owned for decades. Rummage through extraordinary pieces of fabrics and scraps that have been lying away in boxes for years – not being used, not being given away for sentimental reasons, and work with them to create something new and unique, while trying to minimise waste as much as possible by reusing what’s left of the materials in the process. It is to rekindle the joy of creating. To not let myself drown in the sea of sameness that exists today, and cultivate a style that is my own. To be conscious of the history of my clothes: what they mean and where they come from, and to tell the stories associated with them. Lastly and most importantly, it is to make a mindful effort to break ties with fast fashion.
The Baksa Project comprises of stories, illustrations, and projects about how sustainable fashion can be made fun. There’s this idea people have about sustainable fashion that it must be expensive, minimal and plain, and, therefore, not for everyone. That’s obviously not true and, with the Baksa project, I want to clear that misconception.
Apart from working on my personal projects that involve upcycling and reimagining old garments, I also conduct workshops to teach people useful skills to repurpose and personalise their own old clothes, truly cherish them and avoid mindless indulgence in fast fashion.
In addition, I also take personal orders from people to repurpose their old clothes and fabrics based on their individual style and preferences. Therefore, every garment I create for someone is unique to them and is a part of their history.”
