“Style is a way of saying who you are without having to speak”- Rachel Zoe
Fashion is an art form that empowers you to make a statement, express who you are and what you stand for, and becomes a window to your life’s philosophy. It has been quite a while that, sustainability has become the buzzword to champion the cause of eco-friendly fashion by challenging the exploitative nature of production and manufacture in the fashion industry. The sustainable design philosophy that has taken the fashion world by storm is here to stay. In the light of eco-friendly friendly fashion, Vogue (May 2007 issue) is of the opinion that it “does not appear to be a short term trend but one that could last multiple seasons, the very word season being up for grabs in a climate-affected world”. The Global fashion movement is committed towards the cause of making organic fashion a common word in the lexicon of the fashion industry and fashion enthusiasts.
Sustainable fashion or eco-friendly fashion promises to stand out from the crowd through the promotion of socially responsible, environmental friendly, ethical and conscientious fashion that largely makes use of natural fibres (cellulose or plant fibre and protein or animal fibre), recycled fibres (scraps of fabrics) and upcycled fibres (plastic and gillnets).
In India, an exuberant squad of highly-motivated and equally talented fashion designers aims to look beyond profit and create environmental-friendly, sustainable fashion. From ‘Ka-Sha’ by Karishma Shahani that is all about the zero-waste policy to ‘Bhoomki’ by Swati Argade that caters to long-lasting, ethical fashion and from Ruchika Sachdeva’s thoughtful fashion enterprise ‘Bodice’ to Paromita Banerjee’s ‘Boro’ that gives a global twist to traditional handlooms are some of the iridescent examples in the fashion world. Anita Dongre’s ‘Grassroot’ label is a step towards this direction. Her brand ‘Grassroot’ offers a range of leather-free and vegan bags along with apparels and accessories. She notes that “since the entire accessory industry works with leather, it was a challenge to create a line of bags with eco-friendly materials like handwoven dhurries, natural wood and exquisite hand embroideries.”
Haathi chaap, the brainchild of Mahima Mehra has taken up the tedious effort of converting elephant dung in Jaipur into stationery products and collectibles! Before you cringe, the poo paper doesn’t smell of poo! Elephant poo paper uses natural colours from vegetable dyes. The water used in the manufacture of the paper is discharged into the agricultural field. This brilliant concept of combining aesthetics rooted in environmental consciousness is innovation in every sense of the term.
When aesthetics infuses with conscience what you have is an exclusive range of fashion and lifestyle products from Auroville. I am n love with their hand-made jeweleries. Now this is for all my travel bugs, on your next visit to Hampi (Karnataka) don’t forget to check out the beautiful range of handmade notebooks that promises to make a great souvenir. Launched in 2012 in Kolkata, ‘Living Free’ is a paradise for organic fashion. From Sabai grass trays to wall-hangings made of banana stem pulp, from earrings produced from recyclable newspapers to tissue paper holders don’t forget to check out this place on your next Kolkata visit.
Internationally Lucy Tammam known for ethical supply chains and Awamaki Lab, a Peruvian non-profit organization are some of the names who are leading the pack. Ryan Jude Novelline, an Italian-American contemporary designer too sustainable design to a new level. He constructed a ballroom gown named ‘The golden Book Gown’ that was produced from the pages of waste and recycled children books! When it comes to an ace designer who has embraced sustainable fashion with all her heart is the stalwart of the fashion industry, Stella McCartney who is better known for her ethical and fair trade practices. In the verbatim of McCartney “I believe in creating pieces that are not going to get burnt, not going to landfills and that are not going to damage environment”. She even doesn’t use fur, leather and wool in her collections and hence, has earned several accolades from the Animal Rights NGO, PETA. Don’t forget to check out her sustainable eyewear collection and biodegradable stoles!
Below is a list of online shopping portals that would allow you to adopt a green lifestyle:
www.ecoindia.com/products,www.bhusattva.com/organic-fashion.html, www.greenkins.com, douspeakgreen.in, www.aranyanatural.com/our-products.html, www.fabindia.com/company/, motherearth.co.in/products/gift-decor/, www.auroville.com/, www.itokri.com/collections/itokri-partner-haathi chaap, grassroot.anitadongre.com/, www.stellamccartney.com/in, awamaki.org/about_awamaki/projects/awamakilabproject/
So my eco-warriors and fashionistas it is finally time to team up! So next time someone tells you that fashion lack social conscience don’t forget to use your weapon of ‘organic fashion’ to hit the volley!
Did you know? The brand Heavy Eco is an Estonian prison fashion label that involves the prison inmates to produce organic T-shirts and provide them a creative livelihood. Now that is what I call fashion with heart and soul!
