Fast fashion is a growing problem and individuals usually purchase items from companies like Shein, HnM and Zara because of two reasons:
o It is easier to buy
o The latest fashion trends can be found
Aside from this, due to the pandemic people in rural areas are struggling to earn a living wage and there is mass unemployment as many workers have fled to their villages.
Rhinestone is an environmental initiative which promotes sustainable fashion, environmental awareness and provides individuals in the rural areas to become economically independent and earn a living wage. To achieve the above, there are two aspects to Rhinestone- confessions of a green shopaholic and Rhinestone
Confessions of a green shopaholic:
An online blog or instagram page where sustainable shoppers share their tricks to become more environmentally friendly such as mixing and matching tricks for outfits or 5 basic wardrobe must-haves which can be used to alter normal clothing items to produce 5 different items. For example, a rhinestone bra strap can be used to turn one tube top into 5-6 various different tops which can be worn on different occasions.
Rhinestone project:
The main aim of Rhinestone is to provide people in rural areas with an opportunity to earn money during this global crisis while promoting small businesses and sustainable fashion. This involves the following:
Collection- At this stage, there will be a collection of individuals’ old clothing items from Delhi NCR and Gurgaon. This is the cloth that will be used by the people in the rural areas.
Training- Individuals heavily into DIY and fashion will train individuals in rural areas to turn t-shirts into various fashionable and trendy tops or dresses.
Example of upcycling process/training:
Example Video 1
Example Video 2
Once the rural workers have been trained, they will start producing these trendy items through an online portal which will connect the buyer directly with the seller. The seller will be the people in rural areas who have made the product and their PayTM or Paypal will be provided. The item to be sold will be picked up from the rural area and will be shipped out from Gurgaon and Delhi to various parts of the world.
