Varsha Savla
Founder of ‘Expressions By UV’
India
Varsha Savla, Founder of ‘Expressions By UV’, a sustainable, eco-friendly, and zero-waste fashion brand. She has single-handedly built a business that showcases her dedication to repurposing, recycling, and reusing fabrics and allows her to give back to society. Hands down, Varsha is one of the socially conscious entrepreneurs around. She’s a true go-getter, always on the lookout for new opportunities, and hungry to learn as much as she can.
Hailing from a small town in Madhya Pradesh, India, Varsha was born into a joint family. A perfect example of ‘starting small and making it BIG’, her love and interest for traditional art and clothing started at a tender age when her grandmother used to narrate stories of ancient arts and traditions that shaped the fashion industry in India. It was her grandmother’s interest in making embroideries and crochet, as well as her fondness for collecting different types of sarees from across India that inspired Varsha immensely. However, it was her mother who taught her the nitty-gritty about stitching and embroidery. Gradually, her love for fabrics grew exponentially and she expressed her passion by styling her family members and friends. Varsha left for the ‘City of Dreams’ – Mumbai – to study fashion, and eventually worked for 10 years as head designer in various fashion houses in Mumbai.
Varsha registered the parent company, UV Creations in 2016. She established this design studio with the $100 she had borrowed from her father. Since then, UV Creations has been offering personal styling and customized services. Then in 2018, her label Expressions By UV came into existence when she succeeded in crystalizing her business idea in the IIM-B NSRCEL program. With the right guidance from her mentors, she has successfully shaped her sustainable and zero-waste fashion label. Every piece from Expressions By UV explores the story of India’s ancient craft and hand-weaving techniques married to modern aesthetics and comfort.
Varsha decided to highlight her timeless pieces by celebrating every hand that weaves magic behind the scene as well as Mother Earth. She started researching more about sustainable and eco-friendly fashion. Her study led her to some heartbreaking facts about fashion’s cruel impact on the environment. From then on, with a core purpose and mission, Varsha decided to make fashion beautiful from the inside out. She has emphasized building products with zero waste and using natural fibers, handlooms, and organic cotton with natural and azo-free dyes. In this journey, her first single, upcycling project was when she utilized fabric scraps to make 100 clutches and sold them. Needless to say, this move proved to be an astounding success. As the brand grew, Varsha decided to find opportunities to evolve the business and create with a purpose.
The brand has been working with weavers at the grassroots level to sustain and support the rich textile heritage. Varsha has focused on empowering rural women by giving them work opportunities that improve and uplift their social lives and financial status. On the other hand, she has collaborated with various NGOs to produce collections that cater to the basic requirements of customers. She has also helped sustainable fashion brands looking for competitive pricing for lower MOQ production.
Expressions By UV made its debut at the Milan Fashion Week Expo in 2019, in collaboration with a UK-based label. The brand also got featured in Vogue, Italy in 2020, with 17 other vegan international labels. Varsha was bestowed with the ‘Brand India’ award in 2020 and 1000 Faces of Asia Womennovator 2021 Awards for her efforts in sustainable manufacturing and production. She has always believed that, with the mindful use of resources, fashion can positively influence society and make a long-lasting impression.
It can become a game-changer for rural communities and artisans, and will definitely play a pivotal role in preserving traditional craftsmanship and skills. She stands by the fact that everyone has an abundance of untapped potential, but it’s up to every individual how they make the most of the tools and experience to explore and shape that potential.
The culture at Expressions By UV is unlike any other – where sustainability isn’t viewed as a trend, but as a brand culture and core value. This is where elegant, playful styling meets handcrafted beauty to create enriching and exciting designs. Expressions By UV is currently serving the PAN India market and the international fashion industry in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia, amongst others. The brand enjoys a thriving and loyal customer base domestically and internationally. Expressions By UV has been going sustainable and eco-friendly without compromising on quality.