Swedish label Mehrotra makes soft accessories from upcycled saris

‘When my grandmother moved from India to Sweden, she adapted to its culture quite quickly,’ says Sofia Mehrotra. ‘But one thing she always held onto was her saris.’ When Mehrotra launched her eponymous label in 2017, she was keen to fuse the vibrancy and pattern of Indian dress with the streamlined silhouettes of Scandinavian style. ‘We want to keep the lines as clean as possible, even if we use patterns and bright colours,’ she says of her Stockholm-based brand, which specialises in soft pouches and scarves in delicate silk and tactile wool.

Now, Mehrotra has launched a range of accessories crafted using upcycled floral and geometrically patterned saris. Up to six pieces can be created from a single sari, with each unique design representing a facet of Indian dressing history. 

The collection taps into Mehrotra’s wider commitment to sustainability – a topic she investigated when studying Strategic Fashion Management at London College of Fashion, before it became the luxury industry’s biggest buzzword.

To create her designs, Mehrotra uses recycled, upcycled and natural materials, from fabric to thread; the brand's pre-loved saris are sourced in India with the aid of GreenKarma. This specialist in sustainable materials and production ensures that the label's fabrications are sourced in a conscious way. ‘GreenKarma is really my right hand in India,' Mehrotra says. All of the brand's pieces are produced by skilled craftsmen in Delhi. You can read more into the importance of upcycling in our comprehensive sustainable fashion (opens in new tab) guide.

ReCollection 01, by The RealReal

A specialist in soft accesories she may be, but Mehrotra is also expanding her label with additional categories. Alongside a collection of jewellery handpicked from one of her favourite family-owned jewellers in Mumbai, she has also showcased a series of upcycled furniture pieces sourced in Delhi, which have been repurposed by craftsmen. These include a zig-zag-patterned mother-of-pearl coffee table and teak armchairs with bamboo weave detail. 

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