At Miakoda, every detail of our design and production process is rooted in mindfulness—but it wasn’t always perfect. A few years ago, we realized we had a design flaw. Not in our garments themselves, but in the aftermath of making them. We were creating beautiful, eco-conscious pieces with carefully chosen, sustainable fabrics—only to toss out perfectly new, unused fabric left over from the cutting process. We were discarding virgin material that had never even been worn or touched beyond our studio tables. Most of it came in the form of rectangles, squares, and long, skinny strips. As a slow fashion brand committed to ethical production and sustainability, that didn’t sit right with us. So, we got creative. That’s where the idea of the zero waste scrunchie was born. In the midst of the pandemic, we turned our basement into a scrunchie-making station. We started hand-sewing these little accessories from the leftover scraps of our clothing production—each one a soft, stretchy, and functional way to keep waste out of landfills. What began as a small, DIY solution quickly grew into something much more meaningful. Today, we have an independent sewer who helps us sort, cut, and sew our fabric scraps into scrunchies. Our NYC-based factory even sets aside scrap pieces during the garment-cutting process if they look like scrunchie material. Since launching our zero waste scrunchies in 2019, we’ve saved over 100 pounds of fabric from being discarded. These scrunchies are more than just accessories—they’re a statement. A small but mighty reminder that every bit of fabric matters, and that sustainability can be woven into every corner of a brand’s operations. In fact, the success and impact of our scrunchies inspired us to launch an entire Zero Waste Collection, made entirely from our production scraps. And if you’ve tried one, you know—they really are the world’s best scrunchie: soft, gentle on your hair, holds everything in place without pulling, and lasts through countless wears and washes. We're proud of what these little loops of fabric represent: less waste, more intention, and a commitment to doing better—even if it starts with something as small as a scrunchie. Thank you for being part of this journey with us.
