Printing company Epson has launched a “first-of-its-kind” doll-sized fashion collection made from textile waste with designer Priya Ahluwalia, under the name of ‘Fashion Play’.
Inspired by Ahluwalia’s AW25 designs, the collection showcases how sustainable clothing innovation could tackle the landfill crisis.
The collection has been printed using Epson’s Monna Lisa digital textile printing technology and made from textile waste using Epson’s pioneering Dry Fibre Technology, which transforms old textiles into new fibres without water or harsh chemicals.
In comes after new research from Epson revealed that the UK throws 216 million pieces of children’s clothing into landfill each year – 244 times the height of Mount Everest if stacked in one giant clothes pile.
While two thirds of parents (66%) actively consider more sustainable clothes for themselves, nearly half (48%) admit to getting rid of their children’s clothes in the quickest and easiest way possible.
The study also found that Brits throw away 17 items of children’s clothing every year. By comparison, the French throw away nine items a year.
Additionally, children in the UK are bought 90 items of clothing every year – totalling 1.1 billion nationwide, with almost six in 10 parents (59%) admitting their kids have unworn items with tags still attached sitting in their wardrobes, while 57% have thrown away or re-purposed clothes that have never been worn.
Priya Ahluwalia said: “Travelling to India and Nigeria, I witnessed the true scale of textile waste as a result of the Western second-hand clothing industry. That experience has stayed with me, and I have since endeavoured to work in a way that is better for people and the planet, especially in the global south.
“This collaboration with Epson goes beyond fashion. It’s about starting conversations on sustainability at multiple levels, from how we dress ourselves to what we choose for those we love.
“Through this miniature collection made with Dry Fibre Technology, we hope to show that innovation and imagination can reshape the future of fashion.”
Maria Eagling, Chief Marketing Officer at Epson, added: “Fashion offers every age a creative avenue for self expression, but we all have a part to play in making better choices when it comes to what we buy and how we get rid of it when we’re done.
“While there are simple actions consumers can take – from reducing the amount they buy and prioritising pre-loved – we wanted to show how innovation like Dry Fibre Technology can also help cut down the amount of clothes that go into landfill.
“The Fashion Play collection is a playful nod to our love of dressing up – which starts when we are children – but using methods and materials such as these could make a seismic change to the fashion industry and planet.
“We’re really excited to be working with Priya Ahluwalia, a designer who we hugely admire for her upcycling endeavours and commitment to creating beautiful pieces that don’t cost the earth.”
Priya Ahluwalia launched her eponymous multi-award-winning label in 2018, after graduating from the MA Menswear course at the University of Westminster. Ahluwalia combines elements from the designer’s dual Indian/Nigerian heritage and London roots, and explores the potential of vintage and surplus clothing by giving existing materials new life through textile techniques.
The research was conducted by 3GEM on behalf of Epson, surveying a sample of 1,000 parents aged 18-plus who have children aged 1-16 years old. The data was collected between 16–22 October 2025.