‘Commitment to Running a Sustainable Business is Only Possible if it is Accepted as a Way of Life’ say co-owners of Bangalore-based Sustainable Clothing Store, Pomogrenade

  Slow and Sustainable Fashion is a bandwagon we all must hop on to save Mother Earth. It should slowly become ingrained into our lifestyles and made to feel natural. Aiswarya & Madhulikha, both designers from different backgrounds, have created Pomogrenade based on their knowledge and experience with fashion design and branding expertise. Their brand, Pomogrenade, believes in slow fashion. These two women work to revive the life of fabrics and add value to what is considered waste. They create multi-functional garments and upcycle surplus fabrics and design garments that produce little or no wastage in their process. Let’s dive into a great interview! BV: How did you come up with the name of your company? A&M: We spent a day brainstorming, and at the end of it, we decided to relax with a glass of Pomegranate juice. And then it hit us– ‘Why not call it Pomogrenade?!’ – Sweet like the fruit and bomb like a grenade. It perfectly fits what we wanted to represent – Pomegranate is associated with the earth goddess, which is a symbol of prosperity and growth. BV: What inspired you to start a sustainable clothing label? A&M: In 2014-15, It started as an idea to cater to our needs - having access to comfortable clothing that works appropriately and giving one the option to take a morning look into a casual evening setting quickly. There was a massive gap in the market for affordable, ethically produced clothing. We’ve worked to convert this gap into an opportunity. It evolved into us working on pieces that could easily transition from day to evening and multi-faceted and could be worn in more than one way by people of different body types. Red Gathered Dress BV: Why is slow fashion close to your heart? A&M: The Fashion Industry is the second largest contributor to pollution. About 15% of fabric used in garment production is cut, discarded, and wasted. It is the need of the hour that we identify sustainable fashion solutions for these problems. We felt one of the key ways to address pre-consumer waste is upcycling them into wearable pieces. BV: Vegan Lotus Silk? Wow! Talk to us about that! A&M: Lotus Silk is made from yarn taken from the stem of a lotus flower. It is highly exclusive and 100% animal cruelty-free. It has excellent properties; it is soft, light-weight, wrinkle-free, easy to wash, and iron-like cotton but with the look and feel of silk. Group Bag BV: What is your design inspiration?  A&M: We do a bit of consumer research to understand their likes, needs, etc. And create styles that can easily blend into their lives. Our designs are developed to make the best use of the fabrics at hand. Ink Blue A-line Dress  BV: How do you deal with fabric waste?  A&M: Our primordial focus is on upcycling. We have connected with various partners to source fabric deadstock, production scraps, etc., and primarily use that as our raw materials. Our designs are made to produce little or no wastage during production. Every small bit of scrap we produce is also saved and upcycled further into bespoke accessories. SB Olive BV: If there’s one style that you’d continue season after season, what would it be? A&M: Maybe our 3-way jacket dress. It can be styled in so many different ways and could be used as an essential piece to build any outfit around, be it formal, casual, or for the evening. BV: How important is going sustainable for you?  A&M: Sustainability is mostly seen as a new trend in town. But the commitment to running a sustainable business is only possible if it is accepted as a way of life. That commitment is at the core of our business, and every day, we strive to be more conscious and eco-friendlier than the day before. We are learning every step of the way the impact and consequences of our actions as a business, and as individuals, we embrace the process of adapting and evolving as we go. Accessories BV: What’s the next new thing for Pomogrenade for 2021? A&M: Many parallel explorations are happening simultaneously with new products, new markets, new collaborations. We are hopeful as we step into 2021. BV: A quote you both live by… A&M: Waste isn’t waste until we waste it! – Will.I.Am Care for your clothes, like the good friends they are. – Joan Crawford For more such updates, follow us on Facebook and  Instagram. Download our magazine Spunky Indian for exclusive stories.