National Institute of Fashion Technology, Kannur.
Entrepreneurship and Sustainable business practices (Assignment-2)
Report on CSR activities and business model of:
DOODLAGE Submitted by: BRINDA S(MFM/21/211)
TABLE OF CONTENTS Need for upcycling fashion Birth of a conscious decision Doodlage- nomenclature Sourcing fabrics Design Process Collection A socially responsible brand CSR Activities Business model canvas Recommendations Roadmap ahead Conclusion Reference Links
NOIHSAF GNILCYCPU ROF DEEN
Upcycling has always been a deeply rooted tradition in our everyday lives. We have always
valued
the
resources
we
had
and
loved
to
be
a
part
of
it
and
felt
connected to the old charm and warmth, but all that is changing nowadays with lots of growing factors.
In a nutshell, it's no secret that the fashion industry is causing lot of havoc in the planet. Fast fashion has captivated us through not only its grand stores on the high streets of the most glamorous cities across the world but around every corner of our local malls. Even though we know the sinister story behind our favourite fashion trends, we can’t help but look forward to being easily able to afford them.
From start to finish, fast fashion is wasting resources, filling our landfills, polluting our rivers and de-humanising people from low income communities. Increasing industrialization, globalization, fast fashion and ever-growing buying power among people has popularized a culture of quick disposable fashion.
Hence, on a global scale,
there's a need for creating more awareness about
cleaner supply chains, recycling clothing and waste etc. in the fashion industry.
BIRTH OF A CONSCIOUS DECISION With the conversation on social media revolving around climate change and the impact our lifestyles have on it, it’s not surprising that youngsters are coming up with savvy solutions. Many millennials have come up with their own line of upcycled/recycled goods that are good for the environment. This environment conscious band caught the heart and soul of Delhi based designer, Krithi Tula who perceived an idea while doing her internship at an export house. She thought of reinventing the rejected fabrics and put them to better use. As she was aware of the fact that fashion industry is a major contributor to textile waste that ends up in landfill, she decided to start upcycling this waste to create sustainable fashion.
"A study cites that approximately 16.36% of fabric is wasted from the total material intake during the process of cutting, 6.37% of it is wasted in the stitching process and approximately .09% goes out in quality check. According to calculations last done in 2010, in an optimistic scenario, about 40 billion square meters of leftover fabrics and scraps are created every year. With 40% of garment production being done in India, Bangladesh and China we alone produce enough waste to be able to create 6 billion garments from just scraps and leftovers saving them from not landing in landfills every year. I worked with upcycling-based projects. It was only natural that I carried the idea forward for my Wills Debut, where I made a collection called Doodlage - which is where the brand started.” As she followed her heart making a very conscious decision, the journey of her inspirational brand began.
The brand is a blend of sustainable and exclusive high street fashion. Krithi and her team aim to merge innovative designs with sustainable technique of clothing to make fashion not just chic,but also eco-friendly and sustainable. The brand works at re-designing, re-constructing and re-cycling good quality second hand clothing and industrial waste. Most importantly, the team ensures that every product is unique and have its own identity. So, none of their garments looks the same. For the brand, every garment narrates its own story and each one is extremely special to them. Doodlage aims to create value, to re-invent the ways to redesign,re-construct and recycle. Being a doodle lover, she named her brand on its word play. Each piece designed at Doodlage, comes with additional doodles created by the artisan during the process of creation in order to fix a problem unique to his/ her piece. Krithi says that their designs are like a set of doodles that are designed at the sampling stage, its placement and suitability is left to each artisan to decide, making doodling a part of our design process. Hence, taking a strong stand for what they are meant for.
? WHY
Doodlage tries its best to minimize its production waste, and whatever is left is reused in making bags and home furnishings. The brand emphasize more on developing sustainable business practices at each stage of the fashion supply chain from procurement of raw materials to the disposal of clothes by the consumers. The brand has tieups with many industry giants and other fabric exporters from whom they procure the waste fabrics and garments with defects and they also source the fabrics from the suppliers based on the collection they would like to create.
For post-consumer waste, they develop fabrics using certifies recycled yarns on handloom and power loom. They use fabrics that are entirely chemical free and haven't used contaminated water for manufacturing. Once collected, this fabric is checked, fixed, patched, panelled, embroidered whatever is the demand of the fabric before it is sent out for production to various vendors. Waste fabrics are used to make up as our accessories and stationery products. Hence, they breathe the idea of minimising waste throughout their process.
HOW DO THEY SOURCE FABRICS?
THE DESIGN PROCESS @
Doodlage believes that every fabrics is special to them and each weave has its own versatility. Krithi Tula says that the design process is always challenging, but also an extremely satisfying process. Hence, each and every garment is so beautifully unique in its own way. Each collection is an amalgamation of many thought processes, and it begins grouping fabrics that work well together. Due to the large amount of fabric that is wasted during production, doodlage have a lot of varieties to choose from. They create their collection using other organic materials like by using fresh bamboo, eucalyptus and corn fabrics to support the manufacturing of more sustainable fibres.
"Everything that we wear eventually impacts everything that we eat and consume and we breathe." - Krithi Tula
THE CONSCIOUS CLOTHING RANGE (WOMEN) For women, they have dresses, tops, co-ords, outerwears, sarrees and the sizes are inclusive from XS TO 6XL.
THE CONSCIOUS CLOTHING RANGE (MEN)
For men, they have limited editions of creative and innovative styles of shirts, bottoms, outerwear, swimwear and activewear. which is inclusive of all sizes from XS to 6XL.
THE CONSCIOUS DENIM RANGE
ACCESSORIES
They make creative accessories out of the left over waste materials using patchwork and embroidery and surface ornamentation tehniques.
Doodlage makes sustainable fashion accessible to all the mass millennial people across India and around the globe. They have been launching so many upcycling initiatives in a holistic manner paving their way towards sustainable faashion. They are taking steps to collect garments at the end of its life and upcycle, recycle or resell them.
WHAT MAKES DOODLAGE a
SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE BRAND
?
They collaborate with many brands to raise awareness about the impacts of fast fashion and how badly the world is getting deteriorated because of many harmful methods followed by the fast fashion brands and the need for shifting towards green fashion.
RECYCLING SARIS
SEITIVITCA RSC
Doodlage always comes up with innovative and upcycling intiatives to promote sustainability in fashion industry and to take a strong stand for what they are known for. Recently, in this festive season, they had launched a new campaign, " So Susheel" which will help the customers in reviving the old saris that they find no use anymore and have been tucked away in their wardrobe They have launched this sari upcycling project in collaboration with Delhi-based sustainable brand Peeli Dori, and raiased finances for their operations through a crowdfunding campaign.
Customers are invited to send in photos and details of sarees they no longer wear and Doodlage will send back five different ideas for how the fabric can be transformed to create a new, wearable garment. The customer can then choose the silhouette they like best and then create the garment. The aim of the project is to reduce textile waste, one of the largest environmental pollutants, especially in India. .
TENCELL INDIA x TENCEL™ India is a well-known textile brand known for its eco-friendly
SEITIVITCA RSC
lyocell and modal fibers are produced by carefully thought procedures which includes cruelty free methodologies processes, where the fabrics are made from sustainably sourced natural raw material wood.
Doodlage collaborated with Tencel India at the lakme Fashion Week, Mumbai
and
showcased
their
upcycled
collection
made
from
their
fabric waste.
They saved an equivalent of 900m of fabric waste which was donated to as cut pieces in shades of beige.
They have used the fabrics which were rejected for stains and postcutting left overs.
Evelyn Sharma walked the ramp for this collection.
A GLIMPSE @ LAKME FASHION WEEK
As Doodlage always aims to address sustainable fashion in a more holistic manner, this initiative of them in collaborating with Tencell India, helped them in creating an awareness about sustainability in mass media platform, and also benefited Tencell in the promotion of their amazing fabric ranges as well, which has a lot to contribute for an eco-friendly environment.
OCEEDEE x SEITIVITCA RSC
Doodlage collaborated with the creative footwear brand- "Oceedee" to launch their first conscious collection- Maalin" in which the entire collection was handcrafted by upcycling leather offcuts to reduce contribution to the landfills. Being a socially responsible brands, they wanted the collection to be an ode to the conscious women who care and have culled ideas of change and sustainability, by cultivating conscious homes and businesses with true passion, despite the challenges faced to create and sustain them. The seed for this collection was sown with Oceedee’s Offcut Project, where we took a breather to analyse and understand the waste produced during the production process of footwear.
DECATHLON x SEITIVITCA RSC
Decthlon collaborated with Doodlage to upcycle their customer returns. The main motive of this collaboration is to restore, repair and upcycle the customer returns in a bid to reduce its waste from its stores. Both Decathlon and Doodlage are known for their ethical practices. This collaboration brings together the two D's together thereby creating a balanced harmony in green fashion. Repaired products on sale include t-shirts, accessories, swimwear, and sports goods. The initiative reflects Doodlage’s own values as the brand uses textile scraps to create its signature relaxed, tactile designs, that have long been dedicated to their visions of sustainability.
This collaboration brings together the two D's together thereby creating a balanced harmony in green fashion. Repaired products on sale include t-shirts, accessories, swimwear, and sports goods. The initiative reflects Doodlage’s own values as the brand uses textile scraps to create its signature relaxed, tactile designs, that have long been dedicated to their visions of sustainability.
- everything green!
SEITIVITCA RSC (Doodlage's webiste page)
#ETHICAL AF everywhere! Doodlage also engages well with their customers through their online website and social media, providing various conscious ideas to follow in our everyday lives and educating people about various terms related to green environment. They have a separate column called- 'journals', where they share useful informations, diy hacks on various sustainable and eco-friendly methods like eco printing, chemicalfree skincare, green packaging, natural-dyed, zero waste methods, need for upcycling, etc. This not only creates a better customer engagement, but also instill a sense of responsibility in the mindsets of the customers and makes them aware that we all are a part of this planet and it's in our hands to make it a safer, greener and a beautiful place to live in!
SAVNAC LEDOM SSENISUB
3 partners. Design head: Krithi Tula Sales, business development, marketing etc. is taken care by paras and Vaibhav.
Turns fabric waste and old garments into new clothing and accessories. Creating awareness in social media about ethical fashion. Various collaborations and launching upcycling fashion initiatives.
10-15 employees(artisans and helpers). Freelancers, interns and permanent designers. NGO's like Samarpan and Goonj. Industries for fabric supply.
Technological setup and running costs. Salaries for artisans, freelancers and permanent employees. payments to the industries for the fabrics and the materials. Costs for launching upcycling initiatives, collaborations and campaigns.
utilising every bit of the fabrics to turn into clothing and other accessories. Dedicated followers of ethical fashion. Active engagement ways with customers on social media and website. Spreading awareness in their platforms about slow and ethical fashion.
Discounts and offers on the purchases. Newsletter subscriptions and notifications. Gift cards and coupons. better engagement through their website. Online consultation services. Online giveaways
Mass millenials in India and across the globe. Primary target is millenial women. Age group: 18-45 yr old women and men.
Social media: Instagram, Facebook, twitter. Website: www.doodlage.in Main Store Location: Delhi. Pop up websites and ecommerce websites.
Online and offline sales of their clothing (Delhi store and website) Sales through collaborating with other sustainable brands. Pop up's and exhibitions.
SNOITADNEMMOCER
They can conduct more workshops and awareness classes for the young budding designers and aspiring people who want to involve themselves in the journey of sustainable and green fashion. In this way, they can educate more youngsters who are inturn the future pillars of our planet. They can introduce more aged people in their marketing and promotional campaigns, because they always portray a better vission of ancient, sustainable methods and all audience, irrespective of any age can relate with them well like how people used to listen to their grandmas and grandpas for any kind of ethical remedies, etc. Everyone has many unused or old clothes in their wardrobe that they don't use, especially women. Since, they have a higher purchasing power than men, Doodlage can launch an upcycling initiative to let any women exchange any of their unused garment in their wardrobe and purchase a doodlage's clothing at a specified discount rate. This would also increase their sales, and ensures customer satisfaction that they're getting a new garment in return that they can use for a longer period of time.
SNOITADNEMMOCER
Almost all the millennials, irrespective of men and women will have old and unused clothes in their wardrobe that they don't want to use anymore or want to throw away. There are so many unprivileged people in India who struggle everyday because of poverty and not having proper or basic clothes. No matter how great we attain success in a business, in the end, we all have to be and act 'human'. So, doodlage, as a part of their corporate social responsibilities, can organize a donation campaign or small stores in specified locations, where people can give their unused clothes, and the brand can rectify them based on requirements(if any) and offer them for free for the unprivileged people. There's nothing more satisfying than to put a happy smile on one's face!
As there are lots of scopes for upcycling in indo-western category, the brand can come up with a new indo-western clothing range for women and women using using eco-friendly fabrics.
With a massive development in the textile industry, lots of eco-friendly and sustainable fabrics had been invented by the scientists. Amongst that, many fabrics can be prepared from waste like banana fabric from its waste, orange fabric made from the wastes of orange peels and so on. Doodlage can also work on bringing up new fabrics like that which are made out of waste.
ROADMAP AHEAD They are currently working with post-production waste and their long-term plan to find various ways to connect post-consumer waste to the recycling units, this will create fresh yarns and fabrics for future collections. The brand looking for funds to create more awareness around the need for circularity in fashion and to make its product a little more accessible for the price conscious Indian audience, which is possible with an increase in the scale of production and distribution. In order to involve consumers in its movement towards making sustainable fashion available to a wider audience, Doodlage is planning to launch a crowdfunding campaign this fall.
People are often quick to say “one person won’t make a difference”. Yet, if each and every one of us made the little changes in our everyday lives, in terms of fashion choices, we would have a much healthier and happier planet. Doodlage is not only creating sustainable clothing and dialogue about the fast fashion industry, they are also making fashionable clothing that keeps up with the fashion trends around the world. The team inspires everyone to get creative too, including their tailors and labour workers to instill a love and responsibility for ethical design and production. Now in over 40 stores across India, it’s super exciting to witness such an innovative brand spreading so quickly in a country where global production is priority, and western culture and influence has taken over. Doodlage shall always strive to march forward towards green fashion and be an aspirational brand for many!
REFERENCE LINKShttps://doodlage.in/
https://doodlage.in/blogs/journal/sustainability-is-a-lifestyle-cofounder-of-doodlage-kriti-tula https://doodlage.in/blogs/journal/refash-your-saris-with-doodlage https://doodlage.in/blogs/journal/say-hello-to-fashion-bye-bye-to-textile-waste-with-upcycled-label-doodlage https://www.springerprofessional.de/en/doodlage-reinventing-fashion-via-sustainable-design/1787084 https://thefinancialpandora.com/kriti-tula https://causeartist.com/championing-zero-waste-during-pandemic-kriti-tula-doodlage/ https://homegrown.co.in/amp/article/800622/doodlage-and-their-fashionable-approach-to-upcycling https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2017/01/doodlage-turns-waste-to-fashion/ https://causeartist.com/doodlage-ethical-fashion-brand/ https://tribesforgood.com/one-person-wont-make-a-difference/ https://in.fashionnetwork.com/news/Doodlage-launches-saree-repurposing-initiative-to-promote-sustainable-fashion,1154153.ht https://tribesforgood.com/one-person-wont-make-a-difference/
Submitted by: BRINDA S (MFM/21/211)