Why are we doing this? 

Our planet needs us, our future generation need us, to act now to build our world so our children can grow in an atomosphere where they are conscious of their surroundings with clean air, flourished marine life, beautiful green trees for oxygen and with equaility, diversity and inclusion for all. No discrimination, no come back, no violence.  We aim to help to eradicate poverty, and hunger amongst our society, we support with control for peace and harmony, to reduce wars from occuring and we build a sustainable loving conscious world for everyone to enjoy now and not later.

Our first collection, not just a label

A circular, sustainable product is the one that considers and focuses on minimizing waste at every step, and what better way to do that than using up the waste itself? Yes, our first signature collection is made entirely out of plant-based waste from rose petals, lotus, aloe vera, and milk.

Now that we created a good understanding of the need, let’s understand the benefits and complexities of these plant-based waste fibers.

1.  Rose Silk: 

1. Rose Silk is one of the most versatile vegan silk options available.
2. Unlike other silk alternatives, Rose Silk is suitable for blendings or non-woven fabrics as well.
3. It is a regenerated cellulosic bast fiber that is made from the natural waste of rose petals and bushes.
   1. Regenerate - The process where the raw material is broken down to achieve the form from where the fiber can be produced.
   2. Cellulosic fiber - Fibers made with ethers or esters of cellulose, which can be obtained from the bark, wood, or leaves of plants, or from other plant-based material.

• Bast fiber - The fiber that is collected from the phloem, the inner bark, of the plant.

1. Furthermore, it is cultivated without any chemicals.
2. Rose flower petals are turned into powder form, to blend with other fibers, and then added to the viscous solution before spinning.
3. Rose is known for several benefits for the skin and its characteristics stay even in fabric form.
4. When blended with other organic fibers, rose silk is extremely soft on the skin, helps to avoid any bruising or inflammation on the skin.
5. It is soft on the skin, yet durable.

2.  Lotus Silk: 

1. Lotus Silk is one of the rarest forms of vegan and ethical silk in the world that is produced at very small scales because each thread of Lotus Silk needs to be extracted manually.
2. This fiber is yet another great example of maximizing creativity with waste.
3. The fiber is extracted from the stems of lotus flowers, that would otherwise go to waste. This can be done only by a very few skilled craftsmen who have mastered the art over several years.
4. The threads need to be extracted and processed within 24 hours while they are still wet otherwise, they tend to break. Hence, the harvesting needs to happen daily.
5. These are incredibly delicate fibers that need to be handled with care and precision during, extraction, rolling, and spooling. However, once woven, they create an extremely sturdy fabric.
6. The fiber is available for extraction only from April to October which adds to the rarity of this fiber.
7. Did you know, extracting enough fiber to weave one scarf can take up to 2 months sometimes!

3.  Aloe Vera fiber: 

1. Aloe Vera has been used for ages for its medicinal properties.
2. Some of the common uses of Aloe Vera include:
   1. Reducing inflammation
   2. Rejuvenating skin

• Healing wounds

1. To use Aloe Vera in fabrics, it is embedded into microcapsules that are air-tight and waterproof. These microcapsules are then induced into the weaving process.
2. The microcapsules burst when they are touched or rubbed thus getting applied onto the skin.

4.  Milk fiber: 

1. The waste milk that is not suitable for human consumption can be converted into fibers that can be used for weaving fabrics.
2. According to a report from April 2020, the US’s largest dairy cooperative, Dairy Farmers of America, estimates that farmers are dumping as many as 7 million gallons of milk each day.
3. The process is extremely technical. It begins by fermenting milk and removing all the extra fat in it.
4. This is followed by extracting the protein, Casein, from milk in powder form.
5. This powdered Caesin is then treated through several processes to eventually create the MIlk Yarn.

By reducing the wastage of these materials, we are able to create a more sustainable product that is eco-friendly.

Furthermore, these fabrics are mostly handwoven with love by the amazing skilled weavers and all dyes used are natural plant-certified dyes.

Key Characteristics:

The key characteristics of our first collection are:

1. Plant-based
2. Circular
3. Ethical
4. Eco friendly
5. Biodegradable
6. Soft texture
7. Lustrous
8. Durabl

Cruelty Free - keep our silk worms

The traditional silk is extracted from silkworms that actually weave the silk that is then extracted from their cocoons. However, the lesser-known fact about traditional silk is that only the healthiest silk moths are used for breeding. The unhealthy ones are burned off. This animal cruelty scares us and to add on, the production of silk uses a large amount of energy. According to Higgs Index, silk has the worst impact on the environment compared to any other textiles. So, we decided to make a different choice.

Our Standards

To ensure that sustainability and ethical behavior is incorporated into all stages of our supply chain, we have certified and authenticated it from Fair Trade and GOTS. Let’s understand how does this make a difference:

Fair Trade

Fair Trade is a non-profit organization that works on supporting producers in developing countries. Their mission is to connect consumers and disadvantaged producers, empower producers to combat poverty, and promote fairer trading conditions.

They work on creating transparency in the supply chain and create accountability at various levels.

GOTS

GOTS, Global Organic Textile Standards, is an internationally recognized standard for organic fibers. Founded in 2006, by four well-reputed organizations, namely -

• Organic Trade Association (OTA, USA): Organic organization rooted in organic agriculture and food.
• The Soil Association (UK): Organic organization rooted in organic agriculture and food.
• Internationaler Verband der Naturtextilwirtschaft (IVN, Germany): A textile industry organisation.
• Japan Organic Cotton Association (JOCA, Japan) - A textile industry organization.

Together, they work on harmonizing standards for organic textiles in the apparel industry.

Our commitment

We are committed to focusing on zero waste dresses or limited waste. Hence, all the waste created will be used for accessories, pockets for dresses, neck facing, and hems.

We at Siama Qadar Atelier, believe, that “the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step” (famous words of Lao Tzu). We have taken those and will you join us?