Fashion is a major contributor to pollution, the destruction of forests and encouraging the mindset that overconsumption is ok. It's not. We are consuming and throwing away clothes at a rapid rate and more than the planet can handle. According to Greenpeace we are buying 60% more items of clothing every year and keeping them for about half as long as 15 years ago, producing immense volumes of textile waste.

 

According to Earth.Org of the 100 billion garments produced each year, 92 million tonnes end up in landfills. This equates to a garbage truck full of clothes dumped into landfill sites EVERY SECOND!

This is a staggering statistic and one that cannot be ignored.

The world's natural resources are precious. They include air, water, soil, minerals, fuels, plants, and animals. We need to conserve the use of natural resources so that future generations can benefit from them. Some resources such as fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) are non-renewable meaning once they have been depleted, they are gone.

  

What do we do?

To conserve our resources and to curb the immense textile waste going to landfill, we need to use and re-use what has already been produced.

 

Karuna Dawn’s Upcycled Denim Collection

We have partnered with a zero-waste organisation based in India to make bags out of post-consumer jeans and manufactures’ off-cuts.  The finished product is an upcycled bag that is unique, handmade and showcases the creativity and craftsmanship of upcycled fashion, breathing new life into a garment that would have otherwise been discarded.

It takes up to 10,000 litres of water to make a single pair of jeans not including other resources required during the growing and manufacturing of this product. Our up-cycled bags has resulted in the indirect saving of all these resources.

  

Process to Production

Our partner first receives raw materials in a multitude of shapes, sizes and colours and they undergo a vigorous washing process to ensure hygiene.

From here, a significant amount of time and effort is spent on sorting and cutting the material into the right shapes and sizes. 

Although the designs may look simple, it takes a lot of skill and creativity to ensure the shades of blue are co-ordinated and seamlessly hang together as a cohesive pattern. For example, the material for our stunning chequered tote bag comes from at least 8 - 10 different pairs of post-consumer jeans!

The bags are designed and tailor-made to compete on par with new products. 

Every element in the process is carefully chosen so the end product not only increases the life of the material but provides you with a truly unique and authentic bag that has been skilfully hand-crafted and made to last.

 

Social Impact and Purpose

Karuna Dawn’s mission is to uplift and transform as many lives as possible. We’ve chosen to collaborate for change and partner with other ethical, socially conscious enterprises in the production of their bags so we can support the continuation of their great work on the ground.

Our partner in India employs women from marginalised communities and the women are part of self-help groups.  They are offered training in their workshop until they can independently work from home, which allows them to attend to family responsibilities.

 

View our gorgeous denim collection.

 

Your Choice has Power. Vote with you wallet and choose to support conscious and sustainable fashion.