The world has recoginsed the need to sustain the ability of natural systems to maintain the ecosystem of the earth and fashion labels all across are contributing individually to make a difference. India’s apparel market, the sixth largest in the world, is worth $59.3 billion, when compared to the United Kingdom’s ($65 billion) and Germany’s ($63.1 billion), according to data from McKinsey’s FashionScope. And Indian design houses are leaving no stone unturned to stick to environment-friendly practices. On the occassion of World Environment Day, we spoke with some representatives of some of India's popular niche fashion brands to discuss how they are making a difference to the environment.
Namrata Lodha, started Myaraa at the age of 52, with an aim to make sustainable fashion accessories and the brand has come a long with since its beginning with big Bollywood stars endorsing it. Lodha feels fashion shouldn't be at the cost of our planet. "It's 2022: a year where the world is not simply talking about issues with respect to climate change and the like, but it's also taking steps to correct those issues and live more consciously," says Lodha.
Myaraa's initiative is to “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”. "It may feel retro, but it’s just as important today as when the phrase was first coined. Every product we make and purchase has an environmental footprint, from the materials used to create it to the pollution emitted during manufacturing to the packaging that ends up in landfills. We look forward to reducing the waste and doing more recycling of our already recycled straw grass raw materials. We are also very careful by consciously not choosing certain things. For example, not using plastic of any kind in cover, packaging or shipping of our product. We use 100% recycled paper to manufacture our mailer box, paper inserts and packaging tapes. Most of our raw materials used in making hats is waste from farms after the crop or the plant is harvested. We have reduced fresh water consumption in steaming and started to recycle most of the water," adds the Founder and Head Designer of the brand.
Summer Somewhere, a conscious clothing brand has made sustainability an inherent part of its core value system and its environmentally ethical practices are in alignment with this agenda. Meghna Goyal, Founder of Summer Somewhere suggests that her brand is constantly looking for new and innovative ways to take its commitment to the planet one step further. "We have a number of ethical practices that are implemented across the company. The label is running a plastic neutral programme, where they have pledged to recover 2,500 kilos of low-grade single-use plastic from landfills and oceans this year," says Goel.
The brand is also running a resale initiative called 'Summer Somewhere x Relove' as they think that circularity through resale can help solve the overconsumption and underutilization of fashion.
"This allows our customers to see a RESELL button in their order history which enables them to list their garments for resale in just 60 seconds.
For customers who wish to buy preloved fashion can now do so on the Relove category page on the website. Circular fashion is defined as a regenerative system in which items are circulated for as long as their value is retained. That’s the future of fashion. Each garment resold saves 6 times its weight in CO2. Each time you resell a garment, its carbon footprint is lowered by 82%. Knowing this motivates people to part with the 9 Bn pieces of clothing we have in our wardrobes. If we don't do something right now, if the fashion industry continues on its current path, by 2050 it could use more than 26% of the carbon budget associated with the 2°C global warming limit," explains Goel.
Another brand that is making news is handloom treasure-trove, Shanti Banaras. Khushi Shah, the Creative Director of the brand tells us how the brand is focusing on upcycling old fabrics.
"We at Shanti Banaras focus on portraying each story through the craftsmanship of the local workers in Banaras. The handloom industry lost its way under the influence of the technological era and we are diving deep into the grassroots of our oldest traditions. The brand works with a community of weavers providing them with employment opportunities and is home to several local artisans in the city and around, allowing them to work from their origin without having to leave their homes and migrate to a completely new city," says Shah.
"We have also taken a new initiative to try and reuse the old fabrics by giving them a new life and upcycling them into a new ready to wear collection. We as a brand do not just want to be limited to making sustainable products but work on making a sustainable brand overall. We are now exploring ways to evolve our packaging into an eco-friendly package deal. As we grow, we work on creating a better tomorrow for the planet and its people," she adds.
Moving towards zero carbon footprint
Vivek Ramabhadran, Founder and CEO, Aulerth, known for its consciously made jewellery feels the first step is to understand what the problem is that needs to be solved. There is a stupendous amount of destruction behind jewellery today, which is generated by mining for gold largely, followed by diamonds and gemstones. "Our approach towards solving this is by creating extremely high design jewels that have exceptional quality; we also bring to surface an impeccable service that is engineered to generate a minimal to zero mining footprint. With the usage of recycled and repurposed base metals, and mining-free stones in our jewels, we aim to serve as a true alternative to gold jewellery," says Ramabhadran.
"As we go forward, we will bring additional features to get sharper and closer to solving the stated problem. We are also exploring avenues for carbon offsetting," adds Ramabhadran.
