In Conversation with: Anjali Tulpule on navigating responsibility as a graduate designer

Anjali Tulpule, a recent graduate of RMIT University and the visionary behind Tulpulé Atelier, stands at the forefront of a new generation of designers committed to redefining the fashion landscape. In an exclusive interview as part of Fashion Revolution Australia’s series spotlighting emerging voices, Tulpule shared her insights on the complex interplay of creativity, responsibility, and innovation in an industry undergoing profound transformation. Her perspective offers a critical lens on the challenges and opportunities facing aspiring designers dedicated to fostering a more sustainable and ethical future for fashion.

The Australian fashion industry, valued at an estimated $27.2 billion, is currently grappling with the dual pressures of economic viability and environmental accountability. Historically, the sector has been a significant contributor to landfill waste, with Australians discarding an average of 27 kilograms of textiles per person annually, amounting to over 800,000 tonnes of textile waste entering landfill each year, according to data from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. This stark reality underscores the urgent need for systemic change, a sentiment deeply embedded in Tulpule’s approach to design and business.

The Paradigm Shift: Sustainability as the New Industry Standard

Tulpule expresses profound excitement about the fashion industry’s evolving trajectory, particularly the mainstreaming of sustainability. "What excites me the most about the industry right now is how sustainability is finally becoming a central topic," she states. This shift is particularly palpable in urban centres like Melbourne, where a burgeoning ecosystem of circular business models is taking root. Beyond established labels, community-driven initiatives—such as reselling platforms, garment rental services, and up-cycling workshops—are gaining significant traction. This grassroots movement, largely propelled by young designers and conscious consumers, signals a departure from linear consumption patterns towards a more regenerative model.

The conversation around transparency, ethical practices, and inclusivity is also intensifying within academic institutions and industry forums. Universities are increasingly integrating these principles into their curricula, preparing graduates like Tulpule to enter a market that demands accountability. Similarly, industry leaders and designers are engaging in robust dialogues about responsible production and informed consumer choices. For Tulpule, stepping into this environment as a new designer is "incredibly meaningful," as it validates her commitment to conscious consumerism, circularity, and transparent production, which she believes "are being taken more seriously, as they should be."

However, this optimism is tempered by the pervasive issue of greenwashing. Tulpule highlights the frustration caused by fast-fashion brands that misleadingly market their collections as "sustainable." This practice, which capitalises on growing consumer environmental awareness without genuine commitment to sustainable practices, poses a significant challenge to authentic change. She stresses the critical importance for consumers and industry stakeholders alike to discern between superficial marketing tactics and labels genuinely driving positive transformation.

Navigating the Complexities: Challenges for Emerging Designers

The journey from fashion student to professional designer is fraught with unique challenges, particularly for those committed to ethical and sustainable practices. Tulpule identifies several key hurdles:

• Balancing Creative Vision with Commercial Demands: Graduate designers often face the difficult task of reconciling their personal creative vision with the commercial objectives and aesthetic preferences of established brands or labels. The relentless pace of the fashion cycle, driven by an incessant demand for newness and micro-trends, can be overwhelming. This pressure often conflicts with a designer’s innate desire for thoughtful creation and alignment with ethical production values, potentially stifling individual creative voices.
• The Pace of Fashion vs. Slow Design Principles: The industry’s historical reliance on speed and rapid turnover stands in stark contrast to the slow fashion movement’s emphasis on longevity, craftsmanship, and reduced consumption. Embracing a slower, more deliberate approach can feel daunting, even commercially risky, in a market accustomed to rapid seasonal cycles. This tension underscores a fundamental conflict for designers aiming to integrate sustainability at every stage of the design and production process.
• The Cost of Sustainable Innovation: While academic environments encourage experimentation with innovative materials and design methodologies, the practical implementation of sustainable production methods often entails higher costs. Sourcing eco-friendly fabrics, ensuring ethical labour practices, and adopting low-impact manufacturing processes can be significantly more expensive than conventional methods. This financial barrier presents a substantial challenge for emerging designers, especially when the broader industry continues to benefit from the cost efficiencies of fast fashion.
• Ethical Sourcing and Supply Chain Transparency: Ensuring a fully transparent and ethical supply chain, from raw material to finished garment, requires extensive research, vetting, and often, direct engagement with suppliers. For a new designer with limited resources, navigating the complexities of global supply chains to verify sustainability claims and labour standards can be an arduous task.

Despite these obstacles, Tulpule believes that students and recent graduates are uniquely positioned to spearhead change. Their inherent questioning of traditional systems, willingness to experiment with novel approaches, and commitment to quality, ethics, and sustainability over sheer quantity, collectively represent a powerful force capable of reshaping the industry’s future.

A Blueprint for Positive Impact: Anjali’s Advice for Aspiring Changemakers

For young individuals aspiring to forge a career in fashion while simultaneously driving positive change, Tulpule offers actionable advice rooted in curiosity, education, and practical engagement.

• Cultivate Curiosity and Continuous Learning: The foundational step, according to Tulpule, is to foster deep curiosity about the fashion industry’s multifaceted impact. This involves proactive learning through dialogue with practitioners, students, and advocates already engaged in transformative work. Critically, it also means delving into resources that expose fashion’s social, economic, and environmental footprint. Tulpule cites documentaries such as "War on Waste" and "The True Cost" as pivotal in her own understanding. "The True Cost," released in 2015, was instrumental in exposing the human and environmental costs of fast fashion globally, significantly raising public awareness and galvanising the sustainable fashion movement. Books like Dana Thomas’s "Fashionopolis," Clare Press’s "Wear Next: Fashioning the Future," and Lucianne Tonti’s "Sundressed" further illuminate the complexities and potential solutions within the industry. Engaging with such resources not only deepens awareness but also sparks "meaningful conversations," which Tulpule identifies as the essential "first step to driving change."
• Embrace Personal Responsibility and Conscious Consumption: Beyond theoretical understanding, Tulpule advocates for personal action. This includes making deliberate clothing choices, such as opting for second-hand garments, engaging in up-cycling, and consciously supporting labels that uphold sustainable and ethical values. She personally champions the "Rule of Five" challenge, popularised by Tiffanie Darke, which involves limiting new clothing purchases to five items per year. This practice, she notes, profoundly shifts consumer mindset from impulsive desire to thoughtful necessity, highlighting the pervasive issue of over-consumption. Tulpule posits that collective adoption of such "small steps" can accumulate into "a powerful large step towards reaching global climate targets."
• Seek Hands-On Experience and Community Engagement: Practical experience is deemed crucial. Tulpule advises interning or working with labels that genuinely prioritise sustainability and ethical practices. Beyond formal employment, she encourages community-based initiatives: organising clothing swaps, hosting film nights for fashion documentaries, or simply experimenting with ways to extend the life of existing garments. These collective actions, whether "big or small," contribute incrementally to positive change.

As a designer, Tulpule’s ambition is to embed positive impact within her label. She is actively developing a brand that champions longevity and circularity, aiming to create pieces designed to withstand the test of time and offer comprehensive repair and maintenance services. Complementing her design work, she launched "The Capsule Journal Project" on Substack, a platform dedicated to exploring conscious fashion, slow style, and the art of building a lasting wardrobe. This initiative shifts focus from ephemeral trends to understanding and curating a personal capsule collection that reflects individual style and values.

Tulpulé Atelier: Bridging Heritage and Future through Conscious Design

Tulpule’s upcoming label, Tulpulé Atelier (@tulpule.atelier), is set to officially launch in April/May 2026. This inaugural collection represents a deeply personal and culturally resonant exploration, fusing the traditional Indian sari silhouette with contemporary Western wear. At its heart, the collection is underpinned by principles of circularity, longevity, and timeless elegance. Each piece is meticulously designed for seamless integration into an existing wardrobe, offering versatility for both everyday wear and elevated special occasions. The atelier will also provide opportunities for clients to commission unique, one-off pieces.

Sustainability forms the cornerstone of Tulpulé Atelier’s vision. Tulpule exclusively works with surplus and natural fibres, adhering to a business model that prioritises high-quality construction designed for enduring wear. This commitment directly addresses the waste crisis prevalent in the industry. The collection draws inspiration from her critically acclaimed 2024 honours collection, "Caveat Venditor." This previous work explored the intersection of the Indian sari – a garment traditionally worn repeatedly and adaptable for various occasions – and the Western bridal archetype, which is typically designed for a single use. "Caveat Venditor" challenged this paradigm by proposing a circular bridal collection that extended the garment’s lifespan beyond the wedding day.

The new collection builds upon this ethos, creating versatile garments suitable for diverse contexts, from daily activities to formal events, all conceived with longevity as a paramount design principle. It is a collection where practicality converges with elegance, and traditional influences meet modern sensibilities, embodying a forward-thinking approach to fashion that respects both heritage and the planet.

Empowering the Maker: Advice for DIY and Mending Enthusiasts

For those keen to learn the craft of making or mending their own clothes, Tulpule offers encouraging and practical advice. Her primary counsel is disarmingly simple: "Just go for it!" She frames mistakes not as failures but as integral parts of the learning process, encouraging individuals to embrace the unpicker or scissors as tools for iterative improvement. Furthermore, she stresses the importance of community and seeking assistance, whether from family, friends, or online crafting communities, highlighting the collaborative spirit inherent in creative endeavours.

In terms of material selection, Tulpule advocates for the use of deadstock and surplus fabrics. These materials, often discarded by larger manufacturers, offer a sustainable alternative, diverting textiles from landfill and reducing the demand for new resource-intensive production. The most profound piece of advice, however, lies in perseverance: "Never give up on a project and always remember why you started it." She believes that every stitch contributes to the final creation, and each project offers new learning opportunities, drawing from her own experience of embracing hand embroidery despite initial struggles. This sentiment aligns with a broader resurgence in DIY culture and mending, particularly post-pandemic, as consumers increasingly seek greater control over their consumption habits and value the craftsmanship inherent in handmade items.

A Wardrobe Rooted in Value: Anjali’s Personal Style Philosophy

On a lighter note, when asked about her favourite item in her closet, Tulpule initially finds it a challenging choice. Ultimately, she singles out her Arnsdorf white shirt. While seemingly simple, this piece embodies her core personal style philosophy: versatility and enduring quality. For Tulpule, staple pieces that can be adapted for multiple occasions are paramount. Her white shirt has accompanied her through a myriad of life events—from casual picnics to formal dinners, demanding workdays, and crucial interviews—serving as a constant, reliable companion. This choice reflects a conscious move away from fleeting trends towards investing in high-quality, adaptable garments that offer maximum utility and longevity.

She also gives special mention to two inherited pieces: her father’s old leather jacket and her mother’s 2000s Hobbs dress. These items, imbued with personal memories and stories, hold significant sentimental value, underscoring the emotional connection and narrative richness that can be cultivated through a thoughtful, curated wardrobe. Such pieces transcend mere functionality, becoming cherished heirlooms that reinforce the value of extending a garment’s life far beyond its initial purchase.

Anjali Tulpule’s perspective is a potent blend of honest assessment and unwavering hope. Grounded in the practical realities of navigating the contemporary fashion landscape as a student and emerging designer, her vision is propelled by an earnest belief in the transformative power of slow, lasting change. Through her forthcoming label, Tulpulé Atelier, and her insightful contributions to The Capsule Journal Project, she is actively reimagining what circularity and longevity can embody for the next wave of designers and consumers alike. Her work not only offers a glimpse into the future of responsible fashion but also serves as a tangible model for how tradition, innovation, and ethical considerations can coalesce to create meaningful and impactful design.

Follow Anjali’s Work:
Instagram – @tulpule.atelier
Substack – The Capsule Journal Project