Juhu Beach Studio (JBS) is the brainchild of two college friends, Prakruthi Rao and Akshara Mehta, who turned a shared passion for collecting, creating, and exploring into an eco-friendly enterprise rooted in sustainability and social impact. Today, JBS stands as a beacon of creativity, environmental responsibility, and empowerment, reimagining textile waste as a resource while providing women with meaningful employment opportunities. Their journey from college dreams to a socially impactful venture exemplifies how a love for crafting can lead to building a movement for a more responsible fashion industry.
The beginnings: A shared “khujli” for creativity and craftsmanship
The story of Juhu Beach Studio is one of chance, friendship, and a shared “khujli” (itch) for exploration. Prakruthi and Akshara met in college, where they bonded over their mutual fascination with exploring markets, collecting materials, and crafting intriguing objects. Both friends shared a deep curiosity for discovering unconventional materials and experimenting with creative projects. As they began their professional journeys, the allure of the textile industry naturally attracted them, with its endless scope for design and innovation.
However, what they encountered in the textile sector was a stark contrast to their expectations. Prakruthi and Akshara were increasingly disillusioned by the environmental irresponsibility and sheer wastefulness they saw around them. The industry’s unsustainable practices left them feeling that they were contributing to a problem, rather than innovating solutions. This disillusionment led them back to Mumbai, a city known for its bustling manufacturing hubs. They arrived hoping to find answers and a way to create something meaningful, without adding to the industry’s waste.
Mumbai, with its thriving manufacturing scene, initially felt overwhelming, but for Prakruthi and Akshara, it also held the seeds of inspiration. Their explorations around the city led them to discover mountains of textile waste piling up, a byproduct of the city’s industrial scale. They saw godowns filled with fabric offcuts, deadstock materials, and surplus fabrics, often discarded with no thought for reuse. The sight of this untapped material ignited an idea: to use these discarded fabrics to create high-quality products, without exacerbating the waste problem.
Juhu Beach Studio was born from this vision—to craft beautiful, imaginative products from textile waste, transforming discarded materials into stylish, sustainable items. The founders committed to a purpose-driven business model that would both tackle the waste crisis and encourage a shift in consumer mindset towards eco-conscious living.
The essence of juhu beach: Embracing diversity, community, and joy
Naming their brand after Juhu Beach wasn’t just a matter of geography; it was a tribute to a place that symbolises Mumbai’s soul. Juhu Beach is a beloved spot in Mumbai where people of all backgrounds gather to unwind, savour bhel, and let go of daily worries by the shore. This beach represents the inclusive, laid-back, and joyous atmosphere that Prakruthi and Akshara wanted to embody through JBS.
The brand reflects this ethos, welcoming everyone into a space that encourages creativity, freedom, and fun. Just as people escape to the beach for relaxation and joy, JBS wants their products to offer a sense of escape from the mundane, infusing people’s lives with creativity and vibrancy. Through their designs, JBS fosters a brand environment where “anything can happen”—a place where beauty, community, and sustainability coexist.
Who are the “waste fellows”? The heart and soul of JBS
At the core of Juhu Beach Studio is its remarkable team, whom Prakruthi and Akshara affectionately refer to as “waste fellows.” This term captures the spirit of the people who are often passionate about “timepass” activities—pursuits that may seem trivial to some but hold profound meaning for those who love them. The team members are united by a shared love for crafting, upcycling, and exploring new ways to create value from what others may discard as waste.
The JBS team is predominantly composed of women, many of whom come to the studio with little or no prior experience in crafting. The founders have made it their mission to provide these women with on-the-job training, teaching them skills like hand embroidery, stitching, cutting, and stuffing. For Prakruthi and Akshara, creating employment opportunities for women is a core part of JBS’s mission. They envision the studio as a supportive, empowering workspace where women can gain financial independence, develop new skills, and contribute to a larger purpose.
Sustainability is the guiding principle of Juhu Beach Studio’s creative process. Unlike traditional design practices, which begin with a concept and then source materials, JBS flips this model on its head. Their process starts with sourcing pre-consumer textile waste—deadstock, fabric offcuts (chindi), surplus, and damaged materials. For Prakruthi and Akshara, each piece of material represents an opportunity to create something unique and valuable.
The founders are meticulous about ensuring their products don’t have a “recycled” or “upcycled” look. To achieve this, they’ve developed a rigorous process that is both painstaking and rewarding. Approximately 90% of the production process takes place in the JBS studio, where any waste generated during creation is sorted and saved for future projects. This process isn’t without its challenges, but Prakruthi and Akshara see it as their “nasha of choice” (addiction), finding immense joy in transforming waste into one-of-a-kind products.
Sourcing and material selection: A journey through mumbai’s textile maze
Sourcing materials is one of the most fascinating yet unpredictable aspects of JBS’s process. Each sourcing trip takes the founders to godowns overflowing with fabric stacks reaching 30 feet high, bags of unused yarns, buttons, and more. This raw material, which might otherwise end up in landfills or incinerated, is carefully tested for durability and colour fastness before it’s purchased.
The materials that JBS works with are diverse, each with its unique story:
- Deadstock: Unused inventory that sits idle in storage, often considered a liability. Instead of being incinerated or dumped, deadstock is reimagined by JBS as a source of sustainable creativity.
- Chindi (Fabric Offcuts): Tiny pieces of fabric left over after cutting patterns. Every tailor shop and factory in Mumbai produces vast quantities of chindi each week, much of which would typically be thrown away. JBS carefully reuses these pieces in their products, making the most of every scrap.
- Surplus: The result of overproduction, these materials are usually discarded due to manufacturing excess. JBS saves these fabrics from waste, giving them a second life through creative design.
- Damaged Fabric: When even the smallest flaw is found in a fabric, large portions are often discarded. JBS reclaims these “imperfect” fabrics, crafting them into products that highlight the beauty of imperfection.
At JBS, design isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about storytelling. Every product draws inspiration from personal moments, daily life, and a touch of humour. The unique limitations of each material challenge Prakruthi and Akshara to push their creativity, resulting in quirky, eye-catching designs that speak to the spirit of Juhu Beach. With limited quantities of each fabric, they enjoy the freedom to experiment, creating pieces that feel exclusive and special.
Their designs include thoughtful, whimsical details, whether in the products themselves or the packaging. This approach has helped develop JBS’s distinctive design language, making their products recognisable and resonant with consumers who appreciate creativity, sustainability, and artistry.
Building a sustainable future: The JBS vision and goals
The founders’ vision for Juhu Beach Studio is ambitious and socially driven. They see JBS as the foundation of a larger “kachre ka empire” (waste empire) that demonstrates the viability of pre- and post-consumer textile waste as raw material for a scalable, profitable business. The ultimate dream includes opening a “giant pink factory” powered by green energy, complete with an in-house recycling plant, where they can expand their eco-friendly efforts even further.
Their vision extends beyond products; they want JBS to become a community where “waste fellows” can come together to innovate, create, and share their love for sustainability. By promoting an unshakable commitment to an “unshitty” future, JBS seeks to inspire others to adopt more sustainable practices and rethink their relationship with waste.
From their products to their studio’s atmosphere, Prakruthi and Akshara are committed to building a community around JBS’s mission. They want customers to feel connected to the brand and become part of the movement for a more sustainable future. JBS’s newsletter, updates on limited-edition drops, and social media presence all serve as touchpoints for this growing community of eco-conscious consumers. Each product sold isn’t just a purchase; it’s a step toward building a more responsible and inclusive world.
In the end, Juhu Beach Studio is about much more than fashion. It’s about redefining the possibilities of waste, fostering an empowered community, and creating products that bring joy while respecting the planet. Through their dedication to craftsmanship, sustainability, and social impact, Prakruthi Rao and Akshara Mehta have crafted a brand that’s not only beautiful but meaningful, inviting everyone to join them in their journey to transform waste into wonder.
Read more: The NEXTEVOlution: Transforming agricultural waste into Sustainable Textiles
