Celebrating Sustainable Fashion: An Alternative View

One might say that chanting the ideals of “sustainable fashion” has become a redundant exercise today, with wastage becoming a common aspect of production techniques. But looking at where the planet and its resources are headed, it becomes rather imperative to try to pledge to it. The fashion and textile industry is one of the largest environmental pollutants in the world. Each stage that a garment passes through in its production processes threatens the planet’s ecosystem and resources. And what of those clothes that undersell or aren’t trendy or just fall apart?

In an industry driven by changing trends, there are those who innovate differently by befriending nature and distinctly defining fashion. On World Environment Day, we give you an insight into an alternative world of fashion by looking at some Indian designers who are trying to make a difference:

Industrial Waste — AM.IT by Amit Aggarwal

Designer Amit Aggarwal’s label makes use of industrial waste such as plastic, CDs and sequins as well as unwanted sari shreds in his garments. Apart from these elements, the label — which has a flagship store in Delhi — introduces beautiful form and functionality into its garments.

Upcycling/Recycling — Doodlage

Founded by Kriti Tula, Doodlage works with even the smallest of discarded textiles from export firms to create unique and exclusive pieces of patchwork clothing. Apart from leftover fabrics, the brand also uses organic cotton, corn fabric and banana fabric in order to ensure optimum usage of raw materials. Their aesthetic stands out with a younger audience.

Fair Trade — No Nasties

The 100-per-cent organic brand’s core strength lies in its adherence to fair trade practices. Deeply moved by the rising number of farmer suicides in India, Apurva Kothari, the founder of this brand, believes in undertaking efforts at the grassroots level to bring about a change. Paying farmers fair wages for their hard work and incorporating natural techniques at every step of production are one of the mission statements of this brand.

Work Ethic — Péro

Aneeth Arora, founder of Péro, draws her inspiration from local trends. “Pero”, which means “to wear” in Marwari, stands for the localisation of trends and attempts to imbibe Indian culture at every juncture. It incorporates the Indian style of handcrafting, uses indigenous material and employs local skill to interpret international trends so as to give it a uniquely Indian touch.

100-per-cent Organic — Upasana

Founded by Uma Prajapati and Manoj Parivartan, Upasana has been striving to preserve social and environmental consciousness in fashion since 1997. The brand attempts to minimise environmental costs and create a sustainable future by using organic methods as an alternative to commercial ones which could be damaging to the environment. At the same time, it collaborates with communities of weavers and farmers across India to provide a means of livelihood to them.

Vintage — Viange Vintage

After stumbling upon beautiful vintage jewellery pieces on a trip, siblings Mehek and Shikha Agarwal decided to introduce vintage jewellery to the Indian market. Vintage, as a theme, has stood the test of time and continues to adorn our lives in many ways. The 1990s vintage theme dominates a major part of their collection as they believe that the pieces in that era were rich in quality and are symbolic of that time. Every piece is marked with the brand logo of legendary fashion houses like Chanel, Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix, Fendi, Elizabeth Taylor, etc and narrates its own tale, thus chronicling the journey of beauty in its own way.