A study conducted by the Danish government in 2018 found that a well-meaning, good-for-planet fabric tote has less cumulative environmental impact than a single-use plastic bag; the former can be reused 7,100 times. The plastic crisis affects us all. In the hope that the volume of the debate is turned up, UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) and Ogilvy have made single-use plastic ban their top priority, while a collaboration with Masaba Gupta ensures that fashion is very much kept in the loop. "Sukesh Nayar of Ogilvy has been working with the UN on this campaign, and he asked me if I could create a line of clothes that could be turned into bags," Gupta says about the project that has been two years in the making and will be launched today.

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Titled I Will Wear Out Plastic, the 10-piece limited edition collection is ready to wear and includes shirt dresses, salwar kameez, jackets and trousers, cropped tops, maxi dresses and tunics, each featuring Gupta's fabrics-of-choice — silks and crepe, and her signature animal prints including giraffe, swan and horse laid against the lush floral backdrop. But here's the Sherlock moment: a part of each garment can be turned into a bag either by unzipping or unhooking a button. To wit: an inbuilt slit on the back or on the hemline of a shirtdress can be unzipped to turn into a bag, or the sleeves on the "cold-shoulder" kameez get unhooked into a tote and a knapsack. "For me, the greatest fear was making sure the clothes didn't look like a gimmick. I wanted them to have a life of their own. They had to be functional first; these are clothes that can be worn everyday," says the designer.

Gupta tells us that each garment comes with a manual on how it can be turned into a bag; "I don't want customers to find it labour-intensive! We have also worked on a series of vide­os for social media featuring DIY tips on how you can turn yo­ur existing garments into a bag. The idea is to make the ca­use bigger than the clothes, and not just reach out to the fancy and those who use Instagram but spread the word across classes."

At The designer's stores across the country. (Mumbai) Unit No 8, New Sujata CHS Ltd, Juhu Tara Road, Juhu.
Call 65298694
Log on to houseofmasaba.com
Cost Rs 5,000 to Rs 13,000

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