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A 300 kg wake-up call: 12 creators come together to convert luxury scraps into Fabric of Our Lives

The exhibition, Fabric of Our Lives, is by ReFAB Studio India, which designs bespoke lifestyle products, and Creative Club, a studio for art, pottery and clay sculpture.

4 min readPuneFeb 2, 2026 08:47 PM IST

ReFAB's effort is to create lifestyle products from luxury fabrics that are destined for landfill. (Express Photo)

In the dark underbelly of well-furnished homes, offices and hotels lies a growing hill of interior textile waste. The tonnes of scraps, patches and other discards of fabrics used for furnishings are an unseen and ignored menace on the path to sustainability. Unlike the landfills created by fast fashion, interior textile waste is rarely discussed though these are built to last, sometimes, up to a century.

An exhibition at the Raja Ravi Varma Gallery, from February 3-8, represents an artistic response to the problem. It is not known exactly how much waste is generated by the interior textile industry, but the home furnishing market in India was Rs 56,330 crore in 2024, according to market research company IMARC, and is estimated to reach Rs 1,03,880.10 crore by 2033.

The exhibition, Fabric of Our Lives, is by ReFAB Studio India, which designs bespoke lifestyle products, and Creative Club, a studio for art, pottery and clay sculpture. ReFAB founder Rewati Prabhu, an architect and urban designer, says that she was stirred to action after many of her friends, who are interior designers, and one of them in London, called her to talk about the fabric samples that premium brands sent out.

“My friend said that she was throwing away these samples but they were too beautiful and asked if I would do something with it. I went there and nothing prepared me for the scale and the beauty of these fabrics that were going to the bin,” says Prabhu.

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Premier brands take out three or four collections a year, each sample representing the artwork of textile designers who innovate with patterns, weaves and colours to create pieces of breathtaking beauty. “Yet, when one collection is over, the focus shifts to trying to make the next collection. There is no incentive to do something with the bits that are left over from the earlier collection,” says Prabhu.

ReFAB is an initiative of the Kartik Memorial Foundation that is dedicated to the uplift of youth and disadvantaged communities. ReFAB’s effort is to create lifestyle products from luxury fabrics that are destined for landfill.

For this project, ReFAB worked with Sujata Dharap of Creative Club. A dozen artists, including Dharap, worked with 300 kg of unused interior textile material to create a mind-boggling array of artwork. “The artists were invited to choose their fabric. There were velvet, jute, handloom and sheers. There were coarse material and fluffy ones, there were prints, checks, lines and bold colours. The fabric came in big bags and boxes and gunny bags full of small to medium to little bigger pieces. Some of the artists have never worked with textiles but with acrylic in a two-dimensional way. Suddenly, they take up this completely new material, so it was an exploration for them,” says Dharap.

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There is a focus on quality and fine sensibilities in the exhibition. Most works are mixed media, using fabric with metal, wood, ceramic, thread and found objects. Intricate embroidery and embellishments have drawn out the character of the material.

“I think people should care because we need to revisit the way we consume anything. The artists’ works show beauty coming out of waste. This is not just beauty in itself, but it is trying for a position and saying, in the broadest sense, that we must wake up a little bit,” says Rewati.

Dipanita Nath

Dipanita Nath is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. She is a versatile journalist with a deep interest in the intersection of culture, sustainability, and urban life. Professional Background Experience: Before joining The Indian Express, she worked with other major news organizations including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, and Mint. Core Specializations: She is widely recognized for her coverage of the climate crisis, theatre and performing arts, heritage conservation, and the startup ecosystem (often through her "Pune Inc" series). Storytelling Focus: Her work often unearths "hidden stories" of Pune—focusing on historical institutes, local traditions, and the personal journeys of social innovators. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) Her recent reporting highlights Pune’s cultural pulse and the environmental challenges facing the city during the winter season: 1. Climate & Environment "Pune shivers on coldest morning of the season; minimum temperature plunges to 6.9°C" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the record-breaking cold wave in Pune and the IMD's forecast for the week. "How a heritage tree-mapping event at Ganeshkhind Garden highlights rising interest in Pune’s green legacy" (Dec 20, 2025): Covering a citizen-led initiative where Gen Z and millennials gathered to document and protect ancient trees at a Biodiversity Heritage Site. "Right to breathe: Landmark NGT order directs PMC to frame norms for pollution from construction sites" (Dec 8, 2025): Reporting on a significant legal victory for residents fighting dust and air pollution in urban neighborhoods like Baner. 2. "Hidden Stories" & Heritage "Inside Pune library that’s nourished minds of entrepreneurs for 17 years" (Dec 21, 2025): A feature on the Venture Center Library, detailing how a collection of 3,500 specialized books helps tech startups navigate the product life cycle. "Before he died, Ram Sutar gave Pune a lasting gift" (Dec 18, 2025): A tribute to the legendary sculptor Ram Sutar (creator of the Statue of Unity), focusing on his local works like the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Pune airport. "The Pune institute where MA Jinnah was once chief guest" (Dec 6, 2025): An archival exploration of the College of Agriculture, established in 1907, and its historical role in India's freedom struggle. 3. Arts, Theatre & "Pune Inc" "Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak were not rivals but close friends, says veteran filmmaker" (Dec 17, 2025): A deep-dive interview ahead of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) exploring the camaraderie between legends of Indian cinema. "Meet the Pune entrepreneur helping women build and scale businesses" (Dec 16, 2025): Part of her "Pune Inc" series, profiling Nikita Vora’s efforts to empower female-led startups. "How women drone pilots in rural Maharashtra are cultivating a green habit" (Dec 12, 2025): Exploring how technology is being used by women in agriculture to reduce chemical use and labor. Signature Style Dipanita Nath is known for intellectual curiosity and a narrative-driven approach. Whether she is writing about a 110-year-old eatery or the intricacies of the climate crisis, she focuses on the human element and the historical context. Her columns are often a blend of reportage and cultural commentary, making them a staple for readers interested in the "soul" of Pune. X (Twitter): @dipanitanath ... Read More

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