Krishma sabbarwal
About the designer
Krishma Sabbarwal is a multifaceted maker and designer with an interest in upcycling, craft, and remaking from the unwanted. Her work stems from years of experience in the fields of design, buying, luxury fashion, and research.
During her Master's program, Krishma spent her time developing her slow fashion brand, utilising found fabrics, reject materials, and waste yarns. She has noticed the volume of waste that occurs within industries and continues to respond through conscious design. She aims to honour the materials that already exist and appreciate the work, time, and effort that go into creating them.
She aims to be part of the solution, using storytelling to create emotional durability in fashion. Her focus is on designing clothes that are loved and cherished, rather than discarded after only a few wears or sent to landfill.
Krishma has also held workshops, teaching her sampling process and inviting people to rethink waste and creativity. Her brand combines political and satirical elements with nostalgia. She reinterprets internet memes, slogans, and graphics in humorous and playful ways, transforming them into wearable observations of culture and commentary.
Through this tongue-in-cheek yet contemplative approach, Krishma introduces topics such as racism and colonialism in ways that invite discussion rather than distance. Her collections are guided by the South Asian tradition of storytelling, merged with British cultural influence, to create garments that dialogue, question, and interact.
"I love crafting and being creative, but equally important to me is drawing inspiration from personal experiences and bringing attention to important topics. Storytelling is crucial to my design process and slow fashion brand. I don't want to just produce just for the sake of it."- Krishma Sabbarwal.
Krishma Sabbarwal is an emerging slow fashion designer of British-Indian Punjabi descent, incorporating influences from her identity with the ingenuity of upcycling, reusing, and innovative practices from Indian cultures. Her designs draw inspiration from the vibrant colours of South Asia, featuring iconic silhouettes such as lenghas and sari tops, as well as traditional adornments like bangles reimagined in knit.
"I want to put the desi back into my design process, reconnect with my south asian cultural roots and incorporate them into the design process to represent personal heritage and identity." - Krishma Sabbarwal
During her master's studies, Krishma Sabbarwal explored the concept of Jugaad deeply ingrained in Indian culture. Jugaad epitomises a societal approach to problem-solving with limited resources, advocating for efficiency and innovation. Inspired by this ethos, Krishma integrates the Jugaad principle into her design process. By repurposing existing materials and fabric, she pioneers a sustainable approach, crafting new textiles and materials with resourcefulness and creativity. Jugaad shares fundamental design principles with fashion upcycling and this resourcefulness has become ingrained in Indian cultures. It is common practice to reuse and remake in India, and there is respect and a desire to use all aspects of an item or object.
heritage & Culture
"I say, "Support your local Spice Girl," because there's been this trend where people get behind their local businesses, alongside the big names and celebrities. I'm just playfully suggesting that folks should also support their local artists and fashion designers. In my case, I'm your local Spice Girl, so support your friends and emerging fashion designers in the same way you support big-name brands and celebrities."
- Krishma Sabbarwal (aka your local Spice Girl)
