\n<\/p>\n
When I first stepped into the Commenhers studio located in Ubi, the one thing that stood out to me was the mess.<\/p>\n
There were scraps of fabric, recycled plastic, heaps of paper, sewing kits, shopping bags from various brands \u2013 Ikea, Spotlight, Daiso, Uniqlo \u2013 some with logos that looked at least a decade old.<\/p>\n
I could barely see the floor, which was covered with plastic containers holding items like fabric flowers, bags and pouches patched together from different materials, upholstery, and what seemed like blankets and mattress toppers.<\/p>\n
There was no air-conditioning. Ventilation came from two open windows and two heavy-duty industrial fans that hummed loudly.<\/p>\n
But Commenhers\u2019 co-founder and chief executive officer, Nuryanee Anisah Mohamed Noor, seemed completely at ease in the chaos.<\/p>\n
She laughed as she explained that the mess was a \u201cnecessary evil\u201d. The team was gearing up for several upcoming upcycling workshops with different companies, where participants would learn about upcycling<\/a> \u2013 the creative process of turning waste into something new \u2013 and technical skills such as basic stitching.<\/p>\n \u201cThis mess is part of the process,\u201d the 25-year-old National University of Singapore (NUS) undergraduate told CNA Women. \u201cIt\u2019s an eyesore, but it won\u2019t be here for long.<\/p>\n \u201cOur small team of four full-timers needs to prioritise the workshop and other tasks, and sometimes, that means embracing this mess, or at least directing our eyes away from it.\u201d<\/p>\n The name Commenhers was created by merging the words \u201ccommoners\u201d, \u201cmen\u201d, and \u201chers\u201d, to emphasise the company\u2019s inclusivity.<\/p>\n Commenhers serves as a bridge between reducing corporate waste and creating livelihoods for women.<\/p>\n The company works with businesses to transform unused textiles and other discarded materials into upcycled products, from bags to small pieces of furniture. It does this by engaging women from vulnerable backgrounds, including the elderly, single mothers, and stay-at-home mums from low-income families, who carry out the upcycling work while honing their sewing and craft skills.<\/p>\n \u201cWe run on tactile, hands-on experiences,\u201d Nuryanee said. \u201cSeeing all this clutter doesn\u2019t feel strange or wrong. In fact, it can even be where a lot of cool ideas are born.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUpcycling and sustainability sound new, but many of us Asians have practised sustainability for generations,\u201d Nuryanee said. \u201cI grew up seeing my parents turn old clothes into rags, and reuse bottles or empty containers multiple times before throwing them away.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\nINSPIRED BY HER FAMILY\u2019S CARE FOR THE EARTH<\/h2>\n