-b_Big.jpg "Top 15 Indian Clothing Brands that are Making Best out of Waste")
‘Style should never come at the cost of our planet.’
Let’s be honest, we all love a good outfit moment. But what if your fashion choices could look fabulous and do something good for the Earth? Below mentioned are the incredible Indian clothing brands that are not just designing clothes; they are redesigning the very idea of fashion. They are upcycling, recycling, and basically working magic out of fabric waste, old sarees, discarded scraps, you name it.
So, whether you are a slow fashion rookie or a sustainable style pro, these 15 Indian labels are proof that trash can, indeed, become treasure. Let’s dive in.
Samaaj, as the name suggests (it means society in Sanskrit) isn’t just a fashion label; it’s a celebration of India’s incredible craft heritage. Founded by Raman Chawla, whose travels through India’s artisan heartlands sparked something special, Samaaj is all about blending traditional craftsmanship with cool, contemporary menswear.
In just a year, the brand has teamed up with handloom weavers from Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, and Gujarat, building real relationships with artisans who carry generations of skill in their hands. Each piece it creates has a story, a soul, and a whole lot of skill stitched into it. This isn’t just clothing, its culture, elevated.
Welcome to Doodlage, where fashion isn’t just about looking good, it’s about doing good too.
In a world overwhelmed by fast fashion, Doodlage offers a much-needed pause, a refreshing dive into slow living and mindful choices. Inspired by Vivienne Westwood’s iconic mantra, “Buy less, choose well, make it last,” this brand transforms waste into wonder.
Factory scraps, post-consumer waste, and even old sarees are given a brand-new life through thoughtful upcycling and recycling. Each piece is crafted in collaboration with skilled artisans, creating garments that are unique, purposeful, and packed with personality.
Doodlage also promotes circular fashion by encouraging customers to return old clothes, which are sorted for reuse or upcycling. Services like customisation, repair, and alterations help extend the life of each garment, making fashion not just beautiful, but meaningful.
It’s fashion with a story, a soul, and a lighter impact on the planet.
Abraham & Thakore is basically what happens when timeless elegance meets everyday wearability, with a whole lot of soul. Founded in 1992 by design duo David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore (both NID graduates), and later joined by Kevin Nigli (from NIFT), this label started its journey with handcrafted scarves and kimonos that quickly made waves in London’s most iconic stores, like Harrods, Selfridges, Liberty… yes, that level.
Fast forward to today, and the brand continues to create clothing that’s calm, classic, and deeply connected to Indian roots but always with a modern twist. No loud logos, no chasing trends, just beautifully made pieces that feel relevant, season after season.
In a world drowning in fast fashion, Abraham & Thakore stands for craftsmanship, simplicity, and thoughtful design. Each piece is produced in limited numbers, with an emphasis on quality over quantity, proving that true luxury doesn’t scream, it whispers.
At Ka-Sha, clothing isn’t just something to wear, it’s a canvas of culture, craft, and pure joy. Each piece is a story, woven with love and rooted in Indian artisanal traditions. Inspired by people, places, and the everyday beauty around us, Ka-Sha blends old-school techniques with fresh design perspectives to create clothing that feels just as at home in Mumbai as it does in Milan.
From indigenous textiles to hand-done surface work, every item is made to celebrate craft in the most wearable, meaningful way possible. And because nothing should go to waste, try Heart to Haat, Ka-Sha’s fabulous, functional sister label dedicated to giving scraps and discarded fabrics a second chance at life.
B Label is where fashion meets the future, stylish, sustainable, and made from hemp! Launched in 2015 under the trailblazing Bombay Hemp Company (BOHECO), the brand has evolved into a leader in ethical fashion, now driven by creative head Alisha Sachdev.
With roots in textiles and a heart for the planet, Alisha has helped shape B Label into a movement for mindful living. Every piece is crafted with care, designed to last, and built on the belief that looking good shouldn’t cost the Earth.
B Label champions an All-Natural Culture, blending fashion with purpose and setting the stage for a cleaner, greener wardrobe, one hemp outfit at a time.
Johargram is where traditional crafts of Jharkhand meet cool, conscious streetwear. Launched in 2020, this ethical and sustainable fashion label is all about repping indigenous textiles in a fresh, contemporary way blending street style with soul.
The brand’s vibe? Youthful, confident, and rooted in culture. Garments are natural, craft-based, and built to last offering premium quality, comfort, and durability without burning a hole in your pocket. Yes, sustainable fashion can be affordable!
At its heart is Ashish Satyavrat Sahu, a NIFT Gandhinagar graduate hailing from Jharkhand, who’s been dreaming Johargram forever. Alongside him, Pawan Bara brings the creative fire, and Ankita, with her engineering-meets-fashion brain, keeps the brand sharp and on point.
Johargram isn’t just fashion; it’s a movement to uplift artisans, revive forgotten crafts, and make sustainability seriously stylish.
Pero (which means ‘to wear’ in Marwari) isn’t just a fashion label; it’s a world of whimsy stitched together with tradition, texture, and tons of heart.
Founded by the incredibly talented Aneeth Arora, Pero is like that dreamy vintage postcard brought to life. The brand mixes desi soul with global swag, blending age-old Indian handcrafts with contemporary silhouettes that work in Paris, Tokyo, or right down your street. One look at a Pero piece and you’ll spot the signature details, handwoven fabrics, intricate embroidery, pops of unexpected colour, and a whole lot of charm.
Each collection feels like a beautiful conversation between local artisans and modern design, playful, poetic, and always one-of-a-kind. It’s not fast fashion; it’s slow, thoughtful, and full of love.
Juhu Beach Studio (JBS) is where Mumbai’s textile waste meets maximum sass! Founded by college BFFs Prakruthi Rao and Akshara Mehta, JBS started with a deep love for beautiful things and a not-so-cute reality check about fashion waste.
Instead of sulking, they turned scraps into statements and built a colourful, conscious brand powered by an all-women crew they lovingly call the waste fellows. From deadstock fabrics to bold designs, every piece is a joyful rebellion against fast fashion. Think of it as Juhu Beach vibes stitched into every thread fun, fearless, and full of heart.
No Borders is a cultural platform and global community shaking up the fashion and art world, one handcrafted piece at a time. Founded by powerhouse sisters Nitya and Sasha Arora, the brand celebrates local talent, traditional crafts, and stories that deserve the spotlight.
From fashion and jewellery to books, home, and food, everything is rooted in culture and created with soul. Its in-house label blends ancient techniques with modern design, while its workshops bring people closer to the crafts of their ancestors.
No Borders isn’t just a marketplace, it’s a movement. One that honours artisans, revives dying traditions, and reconnects the world to its roots, beautifully and sustainably.
Imli Dana is an independent textile studio turning scraps into soulful, slow-made treasures. Using hand-knitting, patchwork, and regenerative materials, every piece is stitched with care, memory, and meaning, designed to last lifetimes (not just seasons).
The heart behind the brand? Shradha Kochhar, a Delhi-born, NYC-based textile artist known for her handspun khadi sculptures and love for kala cotton. Her work sits at the crossroads of sustainability, storytelling, and honouring invisible labour, especially that of South Asian women.
Imli Dana is a tiny but mighty team—Shradha, her grandmother Mallika (yes, they co-crochet across continents!), plus Fida and Bharat creating magic by hand between Delhi and New York. Using waste fabrics from factories, they craft patchworked pieces with big hearts and a bigger purpose.
It’s fashion as memory, as healing, as resistance. And yes, it’s super cute too.
No Nasties is India’s OG ethical fashion brand, 100 per cent organic, vegan, fair trade, and free of all the bad stuff (aka nasties).
Founded in 2011 by Apurva Kothari, a former techie who swapped Silicon Valley for sustainable cotton, the brand is all about feel-good fashion that’s kind to people and the planet. From soft tees to eco-hoodies, everything’s made with love, not toxins.
Bonus: Apurva’s also building an eco-village in Goa (yes, really), because this isn’t just a brand, it’s a way of life.
Rkivecity is where scrap meets swag! This upcycling fashion label transforms discarded textiles into edgy, one-of-a-kind pieces with serious street style vibes. Think patchwork denim, bold silhouettes, and zero waste attitude—fashion that’s loud, proud, and planet friendly.
Behind the magic is Diksha Chopra, the founder and creative force. A design rebel with a passion for slow fashion, Diksha started Rkivecity to challenge fast fashion norms and give landfill-bound fabrics a second shot at life with major style points.
Rkivecity isn’t just a brand; it’s a creative protest stitched into every seam.
Day & Age is a design-meets-textile love story, stitched with soul and smarts. Founded in 2023 by Shreya Parasrampuria and Sharan Adka, two creative minds from NID Ahmedabad, the brand explores the poetic link between fabric, storytelling, and time.
Every collection dance between past and present: Bygones revives the beauty of what once was, while Currents captures the now in all its messy, modern glory. It’s slow fashion with a narrative twist, where clothes speak, history hugs design, and every piece is crafted with intention.
Day & Age isn’t just a label; it’s a thoughtful pause in a fast world.
Paiwand is all about turning trash into textile treasure! Founded in 2018 by designer-weaver-eco-warrior Ashita Singhal, this upcycling studio transforms textile waste into gorgeous fabrics for fashion and home using handloom weaving, embroidery, and patchwork.
The idea was born when Ashita, then a fashion student, noticed how much fabric waste was hitting the floor, literally. That ‘aha!’ moment led to a passion project that became her graduation thesis and won her the James McGuire Grant ($25K), crazy, right?
Ashita now leads Paiwand with a mission to rethink waste, celebrate craft, and design with heart. It’s not just sustainable, it’s seriously stylish.
NorBlack NorWhite (NBNW) is where culture meets cool, a vibrant mashup of old-school Indian textiles and bold, global street style. Founded by besties Amrit Kumar and Mriga Kapadiya, who traded Toronto snow for Bombay streets in 2010, NBNW started with a love for Bandhani and bloomed into a full-blown movement of colour, craft, and creativity.
From their legendary BomBombers to collabs with icons like Raveena, Major Lazer, and Adidas, every piece it makes is stitched with soul, community, and serious swagger.
At its core, NBNW is all about honouring tradition, smashing the patriarchy, and creating from a place of love and intention. Sweet, spicy, and everything nice.
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