Kalyani Mohadikar - MA/MSc Textiles
ReDefine
Hi, I’m Kalyani Mohadikar, a textile designer, specialising in weaving. My practice revolves around solving social problems through design. I have explored various facets of the textile industry using the PESTLE analysis technique to identify challenges at different levels. Despite the many firms, individuals, and organizations striving for sustainability, the issue of pre- and post-consumer textile waste accumulation in landfills remains unresolved.
This consumer textile waste is one of the contributors to global warming as it is getting decomposed in landfills under anaerobic conditions that is generating methane gas, a green house gas.
To delve deeper, I applied Speculative Design Theory to study the past and present of this problem, envisioning potential future outcomes if it persists. Through thorough research and analysis, my dissertation evolved into an initiative called ReDefine↩️
ReDefine aims to shift the perception of pre- and post-consumer textile waste from being seen as mere waste to being recognized as a valuable resource, encouraging sustainable and creative reuse practices.
Inspired by rural Guatemalan schools using waste in construction, I explore how similar practices could be adapted to Ghana landfills, where big brands are dumping their clothing/ textile waste. My dissertation developed a double weaving technique to encapsulate textile waste, creating unique fabrics with potential applications in architecture and interior design.
Different technical aspects of textile like weaving technicalities, yarn count, different looms, and different sizes of patterns. The objective of explorations was to understand effect of the combination of double weaving and encapsulated waste on the physical properties of the produced textile.
This project challenges existing systems, urging us to reflect on our individual responsibility to the environment and the potential impact of even small actions on the ecosystem.
Unequal wealth distribution across the globe is a significant factor behind the accumulation of textile waste, but no one should have to suffer the consequences of it. Every being on this planet deserves the right to live a healthy life. As both a fellow human and a designer, I want to propose a solution and spark a conversation about our personal consumption habits whether it’s buying that one dress from a fast fashion brand or feeling the need to discard a perfectly good item. It's time to rethink our choices and the impact they have on the world around us.
