How we’re taking the next step towards zero waste with fellow Marie Claire Highly Commended winners – FibreLab
We’re always looking for new ways to tread more lightly on this earth, to honour both the beauty and the ethics of what we do. At Sabina Motasem, sustainable fashion isn’t an add-on – it’s woven into everything we create.
From our earliest NHS scrubs project during the first lockdown to making new-born clothes from our silk off-cuts for refugees and new mums, upcycling our precious remnants has become a core part of our journey. We’ve already been transforming our off-cuts into baby clothes for two incredible charities – AFRIL and Cornerstone Baby Bank – and into beautifully tailored workwear tops for Smart Works. But there are always those very small scraps left over – the ones that don’t quite make it into a garment, but are too lovely to waste.
So we were absolutely thrilled to discover FibreLab – a pioneering London-based studio turning fashion fabric waste into the most exquisitely textured, handmade paper. They are the only studio in the UK doing this, and we couldn’t believe our luck when we stumbled across their work. Their mission is all about extending the life of textiles in innovative, meaningful ways – something that deeply resonated with us.
We visited their workshop and instantly fell in love with their process – from the hand-laid pulp to the drying racks stacked with beautifully imperfect sheets. It’s artisanal. It's sustainable. And it’s a way for us to get even closer to our goal of becoming 100% zero waste – something so few fashion brands can genuinely and authentically claim.
Beautifully made, beautifully reused
What we love most is that FibreLab’s paper is not just practical – it’s gorgeous. Here are some of the products we’re already excited to use in our studio and beyond:
Papertex Sketchbooks
These sustainable sketchbooks are made entirely from recycled textiles. Perfect for our initial fashion design sketches and concept doodles – especially as we prepare for the launch of our new bridalwear and fashion collections later this year.
They are made from 100% recycled textile waste, with 15 pages of handmade recycled cotton paper. Choose from either a denim, charcoal or terracotta cover. Each sketchbook comes with a matching recycled cotton paper bookmark.
Swing Tags
These premium swing tags feel just right – elegant, minimal, and perfectly matched to our consciously designed pieces.
PaperTex handmade recycled cotton paper
We’ll be using these individual sheets for attaching silk swatches, packaging materials, creating envelopes, and putting together mood boards – an ideal fit for our creative process.
And there’s more for creative souls and conscious brides to love:
Recycled Cushion Inserts
Soft, supportive and sustainable and made from textile waste and regenerative wool wadding – a lovely choice for anyone looking to update their home with ethical, recycled products.
Recycled Bolster Insert
If you're looking or a bolster insert you should take a look at these too!
Terracotta coloured handmade recycled cotton paper
We're really loving these coloured papers, which are a handmade recycled cotton paper in our limited edition terracotta shade made in collaboration with LA-based artist Britt Fabello
Business cards and promotional cards
Calling all eco-conscious graphic designers, creatives and small businesses, if you're looking for a place to get sustainable business cards, flyers and cards , FibreLab should ne your go-to printer. Its not always easy when you're looking or a sustainable printer, to see transparently and authentically eco-friendly they are. You'll have piece of mind knowing that every box is ticked if you get your marketing materials done here. We think these cards reflect our eco credentials perfectly.
Wedding Invites
Yes, they even make wedding invitations! How special would it be to have your invites printed on paper made from upcycled wedding dress off-cuts? It’s a beautiful way to complete the circular loop in bridal fashion.
About FibreLab
FibreLab was founded by Kae Tautz, a visionary designer and changemaker, with a clear mission: to tackle fashion’s waste crisis head-on and reimagine how we reuse textiles. After witnessing first-hand the alarming volume of waste generated during garment production. Moved to take action, she launched FibreLab — the UK’s first and only studio dedicated to transforming unwanted textiles into premium-quality handmade paper.
FibreLab was born out of Kae’s deep belief in a more circular fashion future — one where creativity, craft, and environmental responsibility can beautifully coexist. The process takes discarded fabrics and breaks them down into pulp, which is then hand-laid and pressed into exquisite textured paper.
It’s not just paper — it’s a form of material storytelling. Together with Claudia Gandhi and Mooka Srisurayotin, FibreLab’s creations preserve the history of the fabrics they’re made from, giving them a meaningful new life.
Today, FibreLab partners with sustainable fashion brands, artists, and designers to help close the loop on textile waste in a truly beautiful way. We’re incredibly proud to be donating our silk off-cut fabric waste with them — and we are inspired by Kae’s journey as a female founder who's creating change, one fibre at a time.
Learn more about their story here.
We’re so excited to have found FibreLab and can’t wait to continue working with them. From the biggest off-cuts to the tiniest scraps, we’re determined to make every piece count – and we’re getting closer and closer to becoming a completely zero-waste bridal brand.
Explore FibreLab’s beautiful recycled paper products at www.fibrelab.co.uk
Follow them on Instagram at @fibrelab
Love,
Sabina x
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