Tiempo De Zafra Creates Beautiful Hats From Waste

By Alex Assoune

Tiempo De Zafra is a fashion brand that creates custom on-demand designs from excess textile waste since 2018.

This is an idea from Edgar Alejandro Garrido who aims to raise awareness about overconsumption.

After witnessing the massive quantities of discarded textiles from garment factories, he decided to make clothes from waste materials instead of buying new fabrics.

Together with his partner Stephanie Bazzarae Rodrigues, he sources textiles from flea markets around the city of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic where he was born.

He also collects waste fabrics that are in good condition from nearby tailor shops. The large majority of the materials used would otherwise end up in landfills.

Ultimately, Tiempo De Zafra wants to spread awareness and open people's eyes so they change their consumption habits.

"It’s been really epic for us seeing so many different people wearing our hats. We’re a small team, doing everything in-house and putting a lot of love into every piece we make. It always gets us amped to see people rock them."

The fashion industry creates more than 92 million tons of textile waste every year. That amount has doubled over the last 20 years.

The average American throws away 70 pounds of clothing every year. Clothes are only worn for around a quarter of the global average in America.

80% of old clothes and other textile wastes end up in landfills to decompose or be incinerated globally. Only 20% of discarded textiles are reused or recycled.

More than USD 500 billion is lost due to a lack of reuse and recycling each year.

It's time to rethink how we produce and consume clothes to prevent irreversible damage to people, animals, and the planet.

With about 2,000 passionate fans on Instagram and all products in-store already sold out, Tiempo De Zafra is well on its way to make a positive impact on the global fashion industry.

One of the biggest hits is its Pre-Consumer Turismo Hat made with excess textile collected from a factory in Santo Domingo that produces tropical tourist shirts sold exclusively in the Dominican Republic.

Discover Tiempo De Zafra sustainable collections on tiempodezafra.com

About the Author: Alex Assoune

Alex Assoune (MS) is a global health and environmental advocate. He founded Panaprium to inspire others with conscious living, ethical, and sustainable fashion. Alex has worked in many countries to address social and environmental issues. He speaks three languages and holds two Master of Science degrees in Engineering from SIGMA and IFPEN schools.