ReFab Studio aims to reduce fine textiles ending in landfill while also providing job opportunities to disadvantages communities

Five years ago, Rewati Prabhu received a call from an interior designer friend who was clearing out the studio and had a load of fabric samples that were too beautiful to bin. Rewati took the samples, but it set her wondering – if this was the waste from one studio, what is the waste from the whole textile industry? The question became something of an obsession and ReFAB Studio was born

ReFAB Studio transforms luxury fabrics destined for landfill into lifestyle pieces, not only reducing fabric waste but also providing job opportunities to disadvantaged communities who hand-craft all of the charity’s products, including cushion covers, bags, purses and table runners, from unused fabric samples

Rewati says, “We’re all about putting the planet before profit. In fact, it’s woven into everything we do. By partnering with textile companies and organisations that work to empower disadvantaged female communities, we are stitching together a beautiful way to find meaning and delight in the age of waste.”

Alarmingly, 400,000 tonnes of interior textile waste enters land fill each year in the UK. If you would like to reduce this shocking figure by donating unwanted and spare fabrics, linings, accessories and swatches to a good cause please contact ReFab Studio

ReFAB Studio is a social enterprise initiative of The Kartik Foundation, a charity based in the UK. All of ReFAB Studio’s profits are reinvested in upskilling the artisans they work with

If you enjoyed this read, you might like to meet Jules Haines, also on a mission to make the interiors industry less wasteful