X-ray films, snap hooks: Abraham & Thakore get into recycling mode

Designer duo Abraham & Thakore's (A&T) showcase of their autumn-winter 2015 range at Amazon India Fashion Week (AIFW) was all about recycling material in a contemporary way. Old saris and fabrics were layered and hand-stitched together to make something afresh.

Aptly titled 'Old & New', their line encompassed the kurta to the shirt to the dress; from the Nehru jacket, the salwar and the skirt.

The duo worked extensively with Kantha, also known as Sujani, a type of embroidery from West Bengal and Odisha, for their range, which was showcased on the second day of ongoing fashion gala at Pragati Maidan.

A highpoint of the show was how they used old saris and fabrics that were layered and hand-stitched together to make new fabrics.

"The collection was inspired by Kantha because kantha was the original recycle fabric of India and we are doing it here much before it became fashionable," David Abraham of the duo told IANS.

"Using old tone saris and using them together to make new clothes is what we did. So that's the inspiration behind the collection... using rampant waste, cut pieces and sourced from all over. We have used unusual materials that have never been used and incorporated all this in the collection," he added.

The designer duo also looked at other forms of recycling -- for instance, they have created sequins for evening wear from discarded hospital X-rays and film.

"We source antique recycled brocade borders and ribbons. Snaps, hooks and studs have been converted into decorative ornaments," said Abraham.

The garments were made from fabrics as diverse as cotton, wool, nylon and polyester. Some are recycled and many are collected from varied sources. The colour palette varied from white, ivory, ecru, charcoal, slate, black, brown, purple and more.