Why I Make Eco-Textile Products from Recycled Paper

By Neerja Palisetty, 43, Jaipur

I was born in my grandma’s village in Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh, and brought up in Ahmedabad and Indore. My father had graduated as a textile designer from the first batch of NID Ahmedabad. Influenced by him, I studied clothing and textiles during my graduation from MSU Baroda, and joined him in his work.

Later, I set out to chart my own career. Over the next 17 years, I worked as a merchandiser at Tirupur in Tamil Nadu and as a design professor in Coimbatore and later Jaipur. I pursued higher education from Nottingham Trent University and through online courses. But there was always this desire to set up my own weaving studio.

I researched sustainable design and presented papers in international conferences. Sutrakaar Creations is the outcome of all that research. My brand makes eco-textile creations with paper and natural materials. The idea is to juxtapose crafts with post-consumer waste so that we promote fair trade, craft empowerment, zero-waste and ethical fashion.

I’ve learnt that if you work hard with passion, a positive attitude and complete faith in the Supreme, success will follow.

My dream is to educate more and more people globally to follow a sustainable lifestyle. My husband has now joined me in my work. This is our contribution to saving the earth for future generations.

First published in the November 2017 issue of eShe magazine. Read it for free here. Or buy the print edition.