Tuğay in Savi Maxi Dress, Berry
Tuğay in Savi Maxi Dress, Berry
stories no.12
Tuğay Güven
#cycle
Tuğay is the founder of “Darwin’s Botanicals”, which is based on the waste-free life cycle of nature. Tuğay is inspired and reminded us that a zero waste and sustainable life is possible by choosing natural dyeing all obtained from plants – despite toxic chemicals and synthetic dyeing techniques. On this journey which started with the motto “Someone’s trash, someone’s treasure” we asked few questions about “cycle” to Tuğay.
Tuğay is the founder of “Darwin’s Botanicals”, which is based on the waste-free life cycle of nature. Tuğay is inspired and reminded us that a zero waste and sustainable life is possible by choosing natural dyeing all obtained from plants – despite toxic chemicals and synthetic dyeing techniques. On this journey which started with the motto “Someone’s trash, someone’s treasure” we asked few questions about “cycle” to Tuğay.
Q. How does it make you feel to see a discarded precious material turn into the hero of a new story by carrying on its previous experiences?
This situation surprises and excites me every time without exception. Upcycling is such a magical process that I would have a hard time believing it if I did not witness it with my own eyes. It is also so simple and functional. The existence of such a possibility and the fact that many people around me are interested in this concept and working on it fills me with great hope and happiness.
Q. Why do you prefer upcycling? What is the main motivation behind your upcycling attitude?
At a time when the waste around me started to bother me, my thought was “Why is the situation like this and what can be done?” So, I did research on these questions. As a result of my research, I learned that plant and food wastes can be recycled, and color can be obtained from them. This is how I met ‘’upcycling’’. The ‘’active optimism’’ at the core of upcycling, that is, noticing something that went wrong and actively trying to fix it and turn it for the better, fascinated me. This effortless yet active state has shaped not only ‘’Darwin’s’’ but also my outlook on life in general over the years.
Q. How did you decide on the material to use?
At a time when my life was quite chaotic, I decided to get floristry training with the need to be closer to nature and slow down a bit too. However, at the end of this training, I found myself feeling sorry for the flowers I threw rather than being happy with the bouquets I made. This situation led me to look for methods on how to recycle plant wastes. As regards, those wilting and drying plants, along with food waste, became my basic raw material to upcycle. Consequently, each of them has become my only material to obtain color for the dyeing process. After all, I can say that the material itself guided me.
Q. What are the most challenging things for you in the upcycling process?
The limited number of colors, fabrics and models resulting from the technical structure of the upcycling process, and the uniqueness of each product are not difficulties but rather the details that give me pleasure. For me, the challenge of upcycling, which is also very instructive, lies in its emotional burden: Patience. It was not easy to learn to be patient and accept the fact that change will not happen overnight and that I will not be able to implement all the ideas in my mind immediately. I still cannot say that I learned it completely, but at least I can say that I made peace with this situation and started to enjoy it.
Interviewed and translated by Deniz Saygı
Q. How does it make you feel to see a discarded precious material turn into the hero of a new story by carrying on its previous experiences?
This situation surprises and excites me every time without exception. Upcycling is such a magical process that I would have a hard time believing it if I did not witness it with my own eyes. It is also so simple and functional. The existence of such a possibility and the fact that many people around me are interested in this concept and working on it fills me with great hope and happiness.
Q. Why do you prefer upcycling? What is the main motivation behind your upcycling attitude?
At a time when the waste around me started to bother me, my thought was “Why is the situation like this and what can be done?” So, I did research on these questions. As a result of my research, I learned that plant and food wastes can be recycled, and color can be obtained from them. This is how I met ‘’upcycling’’. The ‘’active optimism’’ at the core of upcycling, that is, noticing something that went wrong and actively trying to fix it and turn it for the better, fascinated me. This effortless yet active state has shaped not only ‘’Darwin’s’’ but also my outlook on life in general over the years.
Q. How did you decide on the material to use?
At a time when my life was quite chaotic, I decided to get floristry training with the need to be closer to nature and slow down a bit too. However, at the end of this training, I found myself feeling sorry for the flowers I threw rather than being happy with the bouquets I made. This situation led me to look for methods on how to recycle plant wastes. As regards, those wilting and drying plants, along with food waste, became my basic raw material to upcycle. Consequently, each of them has become my only material to obtain color for the dyeing process. After all, I can say that the material itself guided me.
Q. What are the most challenging things for you in the upcycling process?
The limited number of colors, fabrics and models resulting from the technical structure of the upcycling process, and the uniqueness of each product are not difficulties but rather the details that give me pleasure. For me, the challenge of upcycling, which is also very instructive, lies in its emotional burden: Patience. It was not easy to learn to be patient and accept the fact that change will not happen overnight and that I will not be able to implement all the ideas in my mind immediately. I still cannot say that I learned it completely, but at least I can say that I made peace with this situation and started to enjoy it.
Interviewed and translated by Deniz Saygı