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SMALL TOWN PROJECT

  2021

This project looked at using textile waste to create a community driven project by upcycling the waste to create new fabric using traditional patchworking and quilting crafts with contemporary techniques. This project is designed as a community-centric design system to include the women in our town and to create a sustainable livelihood, who were mostly affected by the pandemic. This project ensured a safe space, an agency and financial Independence. The artisans worked from their home without having to compromise on any of their domestic duties, which is their biggest hurdle. The patched fabrics are then hand quilted by the women from our community. The quilted fabrics reached our client to make one of a kind jackets made entirely of textile waste.

photo credits : the summer house

COMMUNITY INITIATIVE

This initiative explores and addresses the future of rural life within the context of the global climate and ecological crisis. Specifically, it seeks to investigate how rural communities can play an active role in shaping sustainable and resilient futures.To achieve this, a community-centric design system is proposed by collecting and elevating local knowledge and experiences. The project aims to empower the women in my community, by providing quilting workshops, that can provide them with the skill that can be used from the proximity of their home without having to compromise on their household responsibilities. Many of these women live in restrictive, patriarchal environments that limit their ability to work outside the home. Offering them opportunities to work independently can help them gain financial autonomy and a greater agency in decision-making

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TEXTILE WASTE PARTNERSHIP WITH A BRAND

This project was a collaboration with the fashion brand to upcycle their pre-consumer textile waste created during the production of the garments, as part of their commitment to circular fashion. The process started by making abstract illustrations from the poetry. The fabrics are sorted mostly by color and compositions, then grouped to make palettes that visually depicted the illustration and inspiration. Then I instinctively choose each fabric, then play around with the composition to form a collage in the shape of the illustration. Each piece is stitched together to form a yardage of fabric that is in the shape of the pattern. It is later layered with handwoven cotton fabric with a patched fabric made from waste again in between and finally hand quilted by the women in my community.

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Cinema, music, literature have been my biggest companions in my creative processes. A telugu(a language from the south of India) song  that my dad would sang to me growing up, inspired me for this collection. It reminds me of my significance and insignificance at once.
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The song "Aakulo aakunai" was originally a poem written by Devulapalli krishna sastry years before it was adapted as a song for the movie "meghasandesam".

ఆకులో ఆకునై పువ్వులో పువ్వునై
కొమ్మలో కొమ్మనై నును లేతరెమ్మనై
ఈ అడవి దాగిపోనా హా ఎటులైనా ఇచటనే ఆగిపోనా
ఆకులో ఆకునై పువ్వులో పువ్వునై
కొమ్మలో కొమ్మనై నును లేతరెమ్మనై
ఈ అడవి దాగిపోనా హా ఎటులైనా ఇచటనే ఆగిపోనా

గలగలనీ వీచు చిరుగాలిలో కెరటమై
గలగలనీ వీచు చిరుగాలిలో కెరటమై
జలజలనీ పారు సెల పాటలో తేటనై
పగడాల చిగురాకు తెరచాటు చేటినై
పరువంపు విడిచేడే చిన్నారి సిగ్గునై
ఈ అడవి దాగిపోనా హా ఎటులైనా ఇచటనే ఆగిపోనా
ఈ అడవి దాగిపోనా హా ఎటులైనా ఇచటనే ఆగిపోనా

తరులెక్కి ఎలనీలి గిరినెక్కి మెలమెల్ల
తరులెక్కి ఎలనీలి గిరినెక్కి మెలమెల్ల
చగలెక్కి జలదంపు నీలంపు నిగ్గునై
ఆకలా దాహమా చింతలా వంతలా
ఈ తరలీవెర్రినై ఏకతమా తిరుగాడ
ఈ అడవి దాగిపోనా హా ఎటులైనా ఇచటనే ఆగిపోనా
ఈ అడవి దాగిపోనా హా ఎటులైనా ఇచటనే ఆగిపోనా

ఆకులో ఆకునై పువ్వులో పువ్వునై
కొమ్మలో కొమ్మనై నును లేతరెమ్మనై
ఈ అడవి దాగిపోనా హా ఎటులైనా ఇచటనే ఆగిపోనా
ఎటులైనా ఇచటనే ఆగిపోనా

Can I become one among the leaves, branches and flowers and blend into this nature, and somehow conclude my journey here itself?

The sounds of wind crowning the breezes,
The sprint of the river spreading out, from the fountainhead

Shall I become the honeybee veiled behind the crimson-colored leaf? Can I become the bashful blush of the blossoming flower bud?

Can I climb the trees, and then slowly the clouds and reach the peak and become the blue blush on its face?

Can I forget the hunger, thirst, sadness and sorrows, all the troubles of the physical world, lose my existence and become part of this wilderness?

© 2021 by Damini Mittai

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