With Sustainable Fashion At Its Core, 'Mayu' Recycles Discarded Fish Scales To Create Luxurious Products

Every year billions of animals die solely for the sake of the fashion industry's products and profit. An immeasurable amount of suffering goes into every fur-trimmed jacket, high-end leather bag, belt, and woollen sweater that you wear. With consumers becoming more aware of sustainable and cruelty-free fashion, there is an attempt to create products that are eco-friendly. Mayura Davda Shah is one such individual who is trying to make an impact by using waste fish scales as a fashion material.

Mayura Davda Shah is the co-founder of the sustainable fashion brand 'Mayu' that was born out of a vacation seven years ago. Talking about the idea that gave birth to Mayu, Ms Shah said, 

I was on a trip to Iceland back in November 2015. This was a leisure trip with friends. Anytime I visit a new place, I like to take some time off in a way from the rest of the group and just do my deep diving into the culture. Like I will immerse myself into the local art and crafts scene and that's precisely what I was doing on the streets of Reykjavik which is the capital of the country. I was just exploring the different art galleries and places and my eyes fell on this very beautiful set of bracelets that looked like snake leather or something like it but were very interesting. When I asked the person, who is by the store, 'you know what is this and what is it made off?' she said fish leather. And since then I have been hooked on the idea.

Inspired by the moment, Ms Shah decided to bring the concept to India where animal hide is usually the more popular option for bags and accessories. She started researching all about fish leather and the use of discarded by-products of the fishing industry – something quite common in the Nordic region. Explaining how she created a sustainable brand, she said,

I worked with a scientist for almost a span of a year and a half to make this happen. We actually made fish leather in India and it was the kind that I had seen back in Iceland but given the set-up requirements of a tannery; and I wanted to go in the direction of making a brand using materials to create finished products, we decided to import the material. Import it from those who have the certifications and everything in place to support a sustainable brand that we wanted to create.

And so Mayu was formed, and an idea turned into a business empire with a conscience. Mayu claims that in the entire process no fish is ever killed, and they strictly use fish scales and skin that have been discarded. Elaborating on the kind of waste products Mayu uses, Ms Shah said,

We started off with fish leather which is of various types. There is salmon leather, wolf fish, perch, cod, tilapia and you know as many fish people are known to be eating and you know it is deskinned and consumed, those many varieties of fish leather can be made. But we have been using salmon leather and wolf fish leather, particularly because of how they look and feel and the sheer like availability of that material as a by-product which can be turned into leather.

But it isn't just waste fish skin. The brand is also working with other environment-friendly waste materials to bring a look of luxury to their sustainable brand of fashion. Giving an insight into it, Ms Shah said,

We have also started using vegan leather alternative materials so these are something like Pinatex which is made from the fibres of Pineapple leaves. We have also done some work with Kauna grass which is known to be water hyacinth that grows as a weed and is usually cut down. So, that's what tried and used in some of our bags. We are also looking at using Malai which is coconut leather in common words and many more such fruit and plant-based materials that are really changing the face of fashion today and for tomorrow.

Along with sustainability, the brand also believes in uplifting women through their work. Mayu is working with a facility in Chennai that helps with manufacturing and production. Talking about empowering women artisans, Ms Shah said,

In Chennai, we have a dedicated workforce of women who come from underprivileged backgrounds. Over 90 per cent of the artisans who work on our products are these women and we are trying to empower these women, and upskill them to make products that are export worthy, that are very high in quality, and that are like literally reaching different corners of the planet. We do this by not just giving them employment but when they come into the workforce, they get the basic training on how to work with leather, stitching, sewing all of that. When we as a brand come into the picture, we are also introducing newer materials which is a totally different thing for even the facility and the craftsman, leather craftsman there. So, as a brand, we try and teach them how to best optimise the material usage, minimise wastage yet create these stunning designs that you end up seeing on the products. We conduct workshops to really make this happen. Let's say, whether it's fish leather or pinatex or anything else that they have handled so far.

The main idea that Mayu centres its efforts around is coming up with products that are not only good from a sustainable standpoint but also ones that look high-end and luxurious. Today Mayu's sustainable accessories have made their way to the ramps of Paris and Hungary.

Talking about working with several interesting materials, Karan Shah, Co-Founder, Mayu said,

We have material here that is basically bioplastic. This is 100 per cent biodegradable and made out of a form of algae. There are materials that we source from different parts of the world including leather made out of mango skins and mango pulp. You have materials made out of mushrooms and things like that. So, you have a lot of interesting materials available in the product. They all come with their limitations but the limitations allow Mayura and her design team to come up with new ideas on how to use these materials while still making world-class beautiful products that are timeless. It is not a buy now and throw away in four months kind of a product. So, that's where we are trying to go.

Creating timeless products, and not seasonal fashion, is another aspect of Mayu's sustainability. With the world of fashion now exploring a plethora of possibilities when it comes to eco-friendly, bio-degradable, environmentally responsible materials, Mayura and Karan are also experimenting with locally available raw materials in their quest to bring the best to Indian wardrobes. Mayu is currently working with a by-product of a fruit. Talking about the same, Karan Shah said,

Interestingly enough, we come from district Solapur which has a peculiar and interesting fruit that is extremely rich in fibres and proteins, I won't name that fruit today because we are still under development but this fruit is available in abundance. This district exports or sells a hundred thousand tonnes of this fruit on a yearly basis and 50 per cent of the fruit is a by-product - is thrown away as waste. But, this waste is actually the most useful part for us because it contains all the fibre and protein. We are trying to develop a material out of this waste fruit by-product which we will of course use in our own vegan collections going forward but then also put this out there for the world to use. We not only place ourselves as a brand that uses vegan materials but also creates new vegan materials for the world out there to use. I think this is the vision of the brand. We are just at the very beginning of this journey and there is a long way ahead to go. A Lot of opportunities and avenues to explore.

In the world of fast fashion, there have been no constants. But with brands like Mayu deeply committed to both quality and also ethics and the environment, sustainable fashion is hopefully here to stay.