The world is resolute to use sustainable products and save the environment from pollution caused by overconsumption of resources. The fashion industry is one of the major factors adding to the pollution in the environment as it requires a considerable amount of textile, leather, plastic and other non-degradable items. Sadly, this leaves a worrisome portion of waste behind. Given the craze for fashionable products, it is mandatory to reuse and recycle these products to reduce their harmful effects on the eco-system.
Kurio footwear / Image: The Better India
Kurio Designs is a footwear and accessories brand based in Mumbai, India which manufactures eco-friendly and sustainable products out of recycled materials. The name of the brand is derived from the word ‘curio’ which means something unusual. The eco-conscious designer brand manufactures footwear using scrapes from stitching units and discarded tires.
The founder Megha Rawat is passionate about sustainable lifestyle and believes in creating products which are aesthetically appealing and comfortable in usage. Megha works on the belief that lifestyle and sustainability can go hand in hand.
28 years old Megha was born in Uttarakhand and her parents shifted to Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan when she was just two-and-a-half year old. Here she encountered and learned to live with the scarcity of water and electricity. The circumstances in which she spent her childhood made Megha understand the value of repairing things, recycling and repurposing.
She has been contributing her fair share to the environment conservation by mitigating the waste material in the fashion industry on her own individual level. Kurio Designs makes eco-friendly footwear and accessories by employing local artisans and women from marginalized income strata. The brand uses handspun and traditionally printed textile to provide its customers with leisure and style.
An artisan making footwear for Kurio / Image: The Better India
Kurio uses fabric collected from artisans and scrapes of waste cloth material from stitching units to make straps of the footwear. The soles are crafted from recycled tires. The sheets and insoles are also made up of recycled material gathered from vendors. The products designed by Kurio have been well received by the customers and for good reason too. Moreover, they support quality and sustainability besides supporting the artisans and weavers.
It is a small brand with few artisans working for it as of now. The quality and hard work that the makers put in Kurio products is why these products are getting loved so much. Along with Kurio footwear, the brand makes brooches, hair accessories and fridge magnets too.
Megha with an artisan who makes footwear for Kurio / Image: The Better India
Although the brand faces a capital hitch, Megha believes that they will overcome all the obstacles and it will be recognized for its sustainable products throughout the globe.
Megha wishes to continue the good work by expanding her designing brand and explore other aspects of the fashion industry. She wants to make sustainable fashion more accessible, available and affordable. She believes that every human being has an obligation toward Mother Nature and it is in dire need of help.
It is absolutely necessary that more of such innovative initiatives are taken up to prevent the environment from pollution through recycling waste materials.
Via: The Better India