I’m really picky when it comes to buying purses. This is mostly because I have awkwardly shaped shoulders and so I need to wear crossbody bags, or they’ll just slip right off of my arm. I know, it’s a weird problem to have. Anyway, back to the point of this blog post… I stumbled upon Lallitara’s Elephant XL Wristlet and fell in love with all of the beautiful designs and colors. Not only are they perfect for casual and formal outings, they share our “designed to do good” mission.
Bijal Shah, a graduate from the University of Pennsylvania and M.I.T. decided to pack her bags and travel to India, where she worked to help impoverished communities access electricity. Shah joined a sewing class as a way for her to make a connection with the women that she worked with. This is where Shah began sewing saris into dresses and where the Lallitara story began.
Lallitara creates stylish and colorful clothing and accessories from secondhand saris from India. Over the years, India’s economy has improved, however that means that collecting used saris has become increasingly difficult because people are leaning towards buying new rather than used goods.
Why are the materials important?
“Every year, 13.1 million tons of textile waste is going to landfills in the U.S.A. alone. Just try and begin to imagine how much that means around the world! The textile industry is also one of the top contributors to global green house gasses and waste water. By reusing these fabrics, we are not only saving them from landfills, but we’re also limiting the environmental harm caused in their creation.”
– Bijal Shah
17-20% of industrial water pollution is caused by the chemicals and dyes used by the textile industry. These chemicals that make their way into local waterways can cause serious environmental and health hazards to communities. Textile waste makes up about 6% of every landfill, but 95% of this waste is recyclable!
Giving Back
5-10% of Lallitara’s sales go towards supporting organizations like SAATH–a non-governmental group that works towards improving the quality of life in poor regions of India. All of their products are made in sweatshop-free facilities, located in New York City, Fall River, Ma, and Lawrence MA.
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