Pero’s Mended Footwear Is A Sustainable Way To Reuse Our Old Flats And Make Them Look Oh-So-Pretty!

The merits of recycling and up-cycling fashion are plenty, when you consider how much waste we generate with our buying habits. The phenomenon of mending used clothes, shoes and accessories has always been quite prevalent in Indian households. I remember my father taking my Mary Janes into the cobbler’s so I could wear them for a couple of more months at school. And my mother would save up all the beading and embellishments that came off of her kurtas to later stick/sew them onto a birthday frock to pretty it up.

Unfortunately for my generation, the narrative of making use of one’s purchases up until the point of total disintegration is unheard of. We don’t really care for taking our damaged fashion items in for mends, unless they are superficial rips and tears which can be fixed at home as well. The idea of up-cycling these pieces is fairly foreign to most, with some indulging in the same for recreational purposes. It is hardly ever used as an alternative to making a brand new purchase.

The fashion industry’s shift towards a sustainability has taken a serious turn in the past couple of years. It is no more just a buzzword in order to attract customers or investors, but have actually been integrated with production processes like zero-waste systems, natural dyeing, collaboration with local artisans, and much more. Yet, we believe that the road to achieving sustainability in fashion gas to be walked by individuals on their own as well. And the label Péro knows just the way to do it!

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As part of their 10-year anniversary, the brand shared its story of using completely up-cycled footwear, in additions to their conscious fashion clothing, for their seasonal collections. These include Birkenstocks, Hawaii chappals and a collaborative effort with Adidas to sew in colourful panels and their signature floral trims to pretty-up and reuse the prices. This was done by working working closely with Afghani refugees, supporting the idea of generating income for minority communities.

Founder Aneeth Arora’s journey with sustainability as a lifestyle began with an old Ralph Lauren denim jacket. She said, “I realised there are some pieces of clothing that you fall in love with, even with the way they age and fade. But you might want to upgrade it, make it wearable, even special again.” This led to her design aesthetic boasting of patch-worked sarees which healed with lace and chikankari. Their work with rehashed flats is something that we don’t need skilled hands to incorporate on our own and we are pinning these on our Pinterest boards as our next great DIY project!

ALSO READ: 5 Sustainable, Indian Fashion Brands That You Need To Support RN

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There are so many ways one can hope to edit and up-cycle their footwear. A quick scan of your fabric or arts and crafts store and you can uncover a whole world of laces, trims, beads, studs, and much else. Péro believes in updating your old fashion with personal items that tell a story. Arora recounts, “I found this shop in Florence that sold vintage Levi’s jackets, military shirts and jeans. I decided that we should give these old clothes a second chance, so I began upcycling them into one-of-a-kind limited-edition pieces.” How sweet!

ALSO READ: Pair Your Kurtis With These Super Cute And Sustainable Shoes

Are you hyped for you next fabulous DIY deep-dive?