In episode 28 of the Impact India podcast, I chat with Pallavi Yadav and Mehak Tariq Beigh of WeAreLabeless, an eco-conscious brand aligned with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals led by the United Nations. Working closely with craftspeople across India, with a focus on employing women, their goal is to help achieve SDG 5: Gender Equality, and SDG 12: Responsible Consumption & Production.

Pallavi has always been passionate about incorporating sustainability into the fashion industry. She has worked with organizations such as Upasana in Auroville, Doodlage in New Delhi, and also participated in the The Copenhagen Fashion Summit in 2018 as a student candidate from India.

Mehak’s main focus is cultivating the human aspect of business. She has worked with INTACH Srinagar and women-led projects in Kashmir, and had the opportunity to showcase her Phirkath collection at Vancouver Fashion Week in September 2018.

Through WeAreLabeless, the power duo create womenswear, menswear, and accessories from upcycled and handloom fabrics including handwoven cotton, chanderi, silk and linen.

Since COVID-19, WeAreLabeless has focused their production on creating masks from upcycled textiles. So far, they have donated over 500 masks to vulnerable communities across several states in India.

In this episode, Pallavi, Mehak, and I dive into:

The story behind their brand name.
Zero waste production and sourcing handloom fabric from Bihar.
The current challenges Indian weavers are facing in connecting with designers.
The challenges of sourcing sustainable packaging as a start-up.

Connect with WeAreLabeless at wearelabeless.com and on Instagram @wearelabeless.

“We need to do more than just make clothing. We need a solution towards the problem.”

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