Krittiga Kunnalekha is the owner of Nymph Vintage, an upcycled clothing shop. She sources vintage fabric to put together one-of-a-kind apparel that is sustainable and environmentally friendly fashion.- PHOTO: KRITTIGA KUNNALEKHA/ The Straits Times
“Others look at the mountain of cloth and see rubbish. But I’ve always thought that has lots of potential,” said Krittiga, 48, who owns Nymph Vintage, an online clothing shop that is contributing to the growing trend of upcycled and repurposed fashion in Thailand. Internationally, more fashion brands are trying to market themselves as environmentally conscious and socially responsible businesses that adopt a circular economy, which is a framework of production and consumption that promotes the idea of reusing, recycling and minimising waste.
According to The Business Research Company, the global ethical fashion market, which is defined as clothing design, production and distribution that prioritises doing the least harm to people and the environment, was worth US$6.35bil in 2019. “Now the trend is to upcycle. You use existing fabric and give it a new look and style. This way, you create more value,” said Krittiga, who lives in Chiang Mai.
“Many of our customers cannot believe that what they’re wearing used to be a carpet or a curtain,” said Sarita, who said sales have increased by over 50% in the last two years with more customers placing orders from overseas.