A Hindu wedding in Mauritius is a magnificent occasion; days of dancing, feasting, rituals and celebrations, followed by sacred vows made by the happy couple, before a huge gathering of family and friends. And, of course, everyone is  'dressed to the nines'. Traditional wedding attire is deeply symbolic, focusing on richly decorated fabrics often heavily embroidered and decorated with jewels, metals and beads and  intricate jewellery, representing luck and cultural heritage.  Sarees, lehengas, or anarkali suits for the ladies and kurta-pajama, sherwani or traditional lounge suits for the men.
Once the celebrations are over, the clothing goes back into the wardrobe until the next wedding, or is passed along to family and friends to wear. But, as everywhere, fashions change, and the excitement of buying new outfits for the next wedding celebration means that lots of this beautiful wedding attire is no longer wanted or needed, and simply gets thrown into the rubbish, or even burned. As an artist working in textiles I could not stand by and watch these spectacular fabrics go up in flames, so I collect unwanted traditional wedding attire to upcycle.