Indian designer Priya Kapoor has pioneered "EcoWeave," a line of luxury scarves made from textile mill waste and mycelium leather. Collaborating with Mumbai's garment factories, she developed a zero-waste process where fabric scraps are fermented with organic mushrooms to create durable, water-resistant material.

Kapoor's breakthrough lies in her patented "bio-stitching" technique, using plant-based dyes derived from neem leaves to create colorfast patterns. Each scarf includes a hidden seed capsule in the hem—when buried, it grows into native Indian flowers. The project diverted 8.5 tons of textile waste from landfills in its first year and won the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Circular Design Award.

"True luxury is giving materials a second life," Kapoor stated. Her work inspired Levi's to pilot a similar upcycling program for denim waste, with global fashion schools now incorporating her methods into textile engineering courses.