Streetwear Label Makes Masks Out of Fabric Waste to Battle Coronavirus

When coronavirus cases had just begun to show up in Delhi NCR, designer Avishi Dayal Kalra (25), founder of streetwear label ADK, got a little worried when her mother acquired a bout of seasonal flu. In order to protect her and also stop the flu from spreading she made her a mask out of the scrap fabric lying at home.  The mask made with fabric in her brand’s signature is bright colours, got a lot of people interested. This is when she thought of putting fabric waste to better use.

At the Gurgaon-based workshop of her streetwear label ADK where she makes T shirts, sweat shirts, dresses, jackets, trenches, the surplus fabric left behind after pattern cutting is collected and safely kept to be reused. “I never threw out the scrap since college days. I used to think fabrics are pretty enough not to be thrown away,” she says. Since she uses mostly cotton and knit wear for her garments, she felt they were apt for creating sustainable and reusable masks. “I play with a lot of neon greens, oranges, yellows and also monochromes in my garments. I used these colors in the masks as well. There isn’t a reason why masks should be boring,” says Kalra. She put out these masks, affordably priced between Rs 100-150, on her Instagram handle and has ever since shipped them across India and to London, Nottingham and Manchester.

Actor Sara Ali Khan in Beware of Human T Shirt

The masks are an extension of label ADK’s “Beware of Human” T shirt collection. The collection created to create awareness that humans are destroying the environment. The T shirts were a hit with many celebrities such as Sara Ali Khan and Mrunal Thakur flaunting them on social media. Kalra recounts how her label came was formed when actor Ranveer Singh wore a few T shirts made by her.  “I had made few T shirts using reflective material and who wore them for Gully Boy promotions,” she says and that encouraged her to start her own label last year.

Actor Ranveer Singh in ADK T Shirt

Prior to starting her brand, Kalra worked with the sportswear brand Adidas and understood how functionality and comfort were essential in a garment. She began by juxtaposing two different fabrics--one soft and the other hard—to create jackets, sweatshirts, T shirts, dresses and trenches. “When I started the brand, there was a misconception that it was sportswear. To make people realise that these outfits could be worn to clubs, I used reflective materials inspired from the attire of construction workers at night. So in the dark, the wearer would be the only one who would stand out in a club,” she says.

Blogger Masoom Minawala in ADK's outfit made of reflective material.

Next month label ADk will turn one but in the short span it has been worn by many actors, pop stars and sportspersons. Kalra who graduated from Pearl Academy of Fashion and has a degree in sports specialization from Manchester, the hub of football, says her next line would be terrace wear inspired from the 70s British culture where people wore sports jerseys for every occasion. However, she plans to upcycle clothes to make this collection. “I plan to visit Panipat the recycling hub and pick up fabrics from there and also ask people to donate. We will use their old clothes to create something interesting," she says.

Designer Avishi Dayal Kalra

Kalra who sells from her Instagram account and also retails online from various e-commerce portals plans to launch an exclusive website post the lockdown. “I have been positively looking at the situation, using it to learn new courses and focus on design innovations. I am confident we will come out of this with a better perspective of things we hold dear,” she concludes.