Fast fashion has become one of the biggest environmental and cultural concerns of our time, but conversations around it often remain limited to niche spaces. Hoping to make the subject more accessible and engaging for the public, Kalaki Collective, Noolu Collective, Wasted 360 and Atti Culture have come together to organise SustainabilATTi, a one-day community event focused on slow and sustainable fashion.
The event aims to create awareness about textile waste, conscious fashion and sustainable living through discussions, workshops, music and interactive activities. Organisers say the idea is to make sustainability feel approachable and practical rather than overwhelming.
“We realised that fast fashion is one of the most urgent environmental and cultural crises today. But we wanted to speak about it in a way that everyone could relate to. That is why every part of the event is designed for different kinds of participants, from students to conscious consumers. We wanted people to engage with the topic through conversations, creativity and community,” says Dhavalya Sagar from Kalaki Collective.
The event will have three sections. The first, titled Vaanga Pesalam, will be a panel discussion on textile waste and sustainable practices. Speakers include Ann Anra, Thirupurasundari Sevvel and Maya Vivek. Discussions will focus on fashion waste, recycling, conscious consumption and the environmental impact of the clothing industry.
The second section will feature interactive workshops. Called KathriCool, the visible mending workshop will introduce participants to basic stitching techniques and Sashiko, a traditional Japanese method of repairing fabric. There will also be patchwork and live screen-printing stations where old clothes and fabric scraps can be customised and upcycled into something new.
The final section of the event will feature a market space with eco-conscious homegrown brands and thrift pop-up stores from Chennai. Artists from Atti Culture will also perform at the event, bringing together sustainability, fashion, music and art in one shared space.
Pranati Vijay from Noolu Collective says one of the event’s main goals is to change the way people look at second-hand clothing and textile waste. “When people think about pollution or waste, fabric is usually not the first thing that comes to mind. Many don’t realise that most fabrics today are synthetic and chemically dyed. Natural fibres that decompose easily are becoming rare,” she says.
According to her, the event also hopes to encourage people to see thrifting as a practical and sustainable option rather than something negative. “We want people to understand that thrifting is a viable choice and also introduce them to some of the thrift brands already working in Chennai,” she adds. SustainabilATTi will be held at The Quest on May 30 from 2 pm to 8 pm.
Every part of the event is designed for different kinds of participants, from students to conscious consumers. We wanted people to engage with the topic through conversations, creativity and community– Dhavalya Sagar from Kalaki Collective