Making bags out of discarded seat belts, the JNU kid, who grew up with a father who taught quantum physics is today building a sustainable community one gilet at a time with his brand Jaggery. If Apple can sell electronics, why can’t jaggery sell bags?
By Asmita Aggarwal
Former US President Bill Clinton met him at the New York Fashion Week, recently concluded, and told Gautam Malik of the label sustainable Jaggery, that one day he hopes to see his products at Museum of Art (MOMA), New York, the store invites purpose-driven makers. So, the passionate entrepreneur went unannounced to MOMA and pitched his sustainable bags and ensembles, even though onboarding is online. Meet the social innovator, Gautam Malik part of the Circular Design Challenge in partnership with United Nations.
You would never imagine a Jawaharlal Nehru University kid delving into fashion—it is not impossible but it is unprecedented. Malik’s parents are both professors—his dad taught quantum physics in JNU and mom super conductivity in Delhi University. It was surprising he chose to study fine arts and media studies from University at Buffalo University, and then Memphis University where he studied communication design.
He says, whatever he learnt, he is applying to what he is doing today—whether it is documentary filmmaking, storytelling to making bags out of waste at Jaggery–Reimagining Waste, a women-led social enterprise. They upcycle discarded car seat belts, decommissioned cargo belts and ex-army canvas into sustainable products. “Since 2018, we have been able to divert 2400+ tons of waste from the landfills of Delhi, impacting the lives of 25,000 people,” he adds.
His childhood sweetheart Bhawana Dandona, (University of Pennsylvania M.Sc in historic preservation) who worked in conservation of old buildings, found a meeting point in ideas. “We discussed structuralism, cultural heritage, and I loved jamming with her. When I returned from the US in 2010, I worked in the corporate sector in UA/UX design in India after ten years of living in America,” says Gautam. His experience is vast—Time Turner to Jabong, e-commerce designer, the creative head also launched a fashion magazine, but he calls himself a “social innovator”, someone who wants to impact society.
In the year 2000, he got a chance to intern at Auroville, Pondicherry, where people from different nationalities have renounced their citizenship, are living as a community, he then decided he wanted to build one too, thus Jaggery. They work in Haryana to Jharkhand mostly with “aspirational districts”, most importantly with Nuh, known for its political tensions. “How do you decide who to work with?” he asks.
“Jaggery” or “repurpose” the toss-up was there for the name of the brand, the former fitted in—-as while making jaggery nothing goes to waste; it is produced in small batches, the process is thus humanised, it leaves behind a witty flavour. If Apple can sell electronics why can’t jaggery sell bags?” he laughs.
Growing up simply he went to Modern School, found a huge inequality in terms of social status, he would get Rs 25 weekly allowance, he learnt to live in that, JNU is in his DNA. “I had to come back from the US, as I saw India was the hot bed of startups, also living in the US you never feel part of it,” he admits.
For LFWXFDCI he is donning a fashion designer’s hat creating bags and garments from repurposed car and airplane seat belts (cars which are 15 years old must be scrapped, according to government policy). This creates enormous waste—they use the rubber, roof lining, seat belts, residue, and have come up with a system wherein many NGOs (also Mayapuri car scrappers) are helping them source it. “We tie up with RWAS like we did in Gurgaon where we are based to start donation drives—you can give your old denims and corduroys and we will spin them into a new designer ensemble,” he admits.
He believes in co-creating and partnerships, with Volvo Jaggery does corporate gifting, Tata any car scrapped they can utilise, they ask them to replace cardboard box boxes for Diwali sweets with recyclable bags, their new work is with EVs.
“Earlier vendors would fleece us asking for money for things that are waste, they would just throw. They thought we are using it for profit, now they understand many years later what we are doing,” he adds. He faced many challenges, even how workers they would hire, when he would inform they are working with discarded materials, “why can’t we work with new ones? They would say.
The bags he makes are sold at Embassy fairs like the US and Austrian as well as Dastkar though he knows the sword is always dangling for this bootstrapped company. “We never know when we will fold, we want to partner people who understand what work we do, it is a dual impact model. Waste is recycled, it is circular, creates jobs, we create a value chain. It’s an ethos-based brand,” he adds. You can get a wallet for Rs 750, and a duffel bag for Rs 7,000. “Also on offer are bespoke products, cargo belts come in different colours, we customise you can choose British, Qatar or Singapore Airlines, play around with the sequence. I started with just one employee Shahid bhai, now we are nine in total,” he says.
FDCIXLFW line of garments are risqué-jackets, gilets, reinterpreting the Nehru jacket, corsets, and asymmetrical skirts. The philosophy is gender agnostic pieces, like the caged maxi dress it’s avant-garde but with an industrial vibe. “Society cages us, this is breaking free for me,” he concludes.