"We also plan to reduce the carbon footprint"
Sustainable fashion has been trending in India as many brands have been launching sustainable fashion in the last few months.
Some of these brands are new startups who have initiated their brands as sustainable fashion. Others are new lines of fashion introduced by established companies.
Some children brands are also including sustainability as their theme.
The aim of these brands is to go green and leave no carbon footprint.
Mitali Bhargava is based in Jaipur and she has introduced sustainable fashion for kids in her brand. The brand is called ‘Littleens’.
Bhargava’s brand uses plant-based fibres to make fabrics.
The yarn is made from orange peels, aloe vera, banana and bamboo.
Bhargava claims that the fabrics are super soft and don’t trigger any allergic reactions.
However, the brand exports most of its products as the Indian market is around 15 to 20%.
Bhargava expects the Indian market to pick up soon.
She believes that young mothers are very protective of their children. So the brand is optimistic about its future in the Indian market.
Actress Alia Bhatt has also introduced a startup named ‘Ed-a-mamma’.
This brand also targets children from two to 14-years-old.
Bhatt introduced the brand out of her passion for the environment.
Bhatt talked about the sustainability of her products. She told Mint:
“[I] wanted to give back a strong message to conserve it [environment] through this brand.”
A leading wholesale clothing manufacturer of India, Jain Amar Clothing’s brand ‘Madame’ has also launched an eco-aware collection.
Madame is a brand for women clothing.
The new collection of Madame claims to be “ethical and sustainable fashion, in terms of sourcing, manufacturing and designing”.
The collection seeks to leave minimal impact on the environment.
The company’s executive director, Akhil Jain said:
“Madame’s long-term sustainability goal is to move towards becoming a 100% eco-friendly organization.
“We also plan to reduce the carbon footprint by at least 80% and become a carbon-negative company by 2030.”
Fashion designers Richa Mittal and Avni Behl also collaborated to introduce ‘SPACE’.
They introduce SPACE as a high street fashion label based on natural fabrics.
Mittal said that most high-street apparels are poly-based and cotton-based apparel lacks style.
Therefore the duo has filled the gap by introducing sleek and sustainable fashion at a smart price.
Mittal talks about the popularity of sustainable fashion. She said:
“The times we are living in, everything is moving towards minimalism and sustainability—with minimum impact on the environment.
“People now are inclined to classic fashion over seasonal fast-moving one.”
The Future of Sustainable Fashion
Kaushik Ranjan Bandyopadhyay, associate professor of business sustainability at the Indian Institute of Management, spoke about the future of sustainable fashion in India. He said:
“Developed countries are far more aware and one finds shops selling sustainable, re-purposed materials.
“Those values are starting to build here. Already, there are many startups in this segment.
“But it’s still an uphill task as fast-fashion brands are far more aggressive.”
“However, the extra premium for sustainability is not always justifiable.”
Harminder Sahni, the founder of Wazir Advisors, believes that an eco-conscious range is a good option for many apparel brands. He says:
“For the last 40 years, brands have been asking you to change clothes, follow fashion cycles and building obsolescence in their products, they won’t change overnight.”
However, the consumer behaviour expert Sraboni Bhaduri believes that the pandemic may have affected some changes in attitude.
She said that there has been a shift in society in terms of consumer behaviour.
Bhaduri believes that society is now consuming less and so the fashion attitude will also shift towards sustainable fashion.
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