I remember watching Suvreen Guggal- Topper of the Year, which aired on Channel V during 2012-’13. Though I don’t recall much of it now, it’s surprising as it had constituted a significant part of my teenage years, along with thousands of others. However, I have a vivid memory of Suvreen being late to jury day, and all she had was a scrap of fabrics to make her outfit from; she goes for it and designs the best outfit.
Back then, I never understood how cut-out fabrics did the perfect job while the best of fabrics failed? Reflecting on that episode now, it not only conveyed the message of minimal waste. But hiding behind was a sneak peek from the future fashion industry contributing to the disruption of the environment.
But wait, how is fashion related to the environment? Well, the outrage was triggered when it was known how leather for our favourite brands leads to the destruction of Amazon rainforests. The fashion industry has well-established ties with the environment and deforestation; pollution, to name a few. We live in the fast fashion age, wherein clothes are a waste after the trend becomes last season. Online store ads remind me how much I needed a new outfit, shoes and accessories for my birthday when all I needed was just a coat. Or maybe nothing at all.
The Era Of Fast Fashion
Fast fashion as a lifestyle sets in trends and constitutes mass production and availability. Ever heard of FOMO? Or the Fear of Missing Out. This has a psychological driving force behind it, making you feel that you are always running out of something, always missing something that everyone else has.
Hence, the urge to buy more is inevitable thus comes in contributions to landfills with clothing which have been barely used. Ruchika Sachdeva highlighted this aspect, “We’ll soon be paying a landfill tax.”
Statistically, fast fashion takes an immense toll on natural resources. For example, cotton makes up almost 33% of all fabrics in the industry. And it requires approximately 2,700 litres of water to make one cotton t-shirt, which a person drinks in about 2⅕ years, states a report by World Resources Institute.
This report also stated the emission of greenhouse gases through polyester production to be about 706 billion kg back in 2015. Amidst many, Noyyal River in Tirupur city, Tamil Nadu gets clogged with post-industrial wastes from textile factories along with household wastes. As a result, the river is contaminated with copper, zinc, and lead, which have long-term effects.
What Is Sustainable Fashion?
So here comes the role of sustainable fashion. Sustainable, as the term suggests, is something long-lasting and preserves ideas and thoughts in its making. Tackling the hazardous effects of textile industries, some Indian labels are transforming into sustainable clothing and accessories. Designer duo Lecoanet and Hemant elaborated on the use of a unique fabric called Ayurvastra, which possesses the goodness of medicinal herbs. Designer Gautam Gupta talked of the use of banana, bamboo and aloe vera yarns for fabric creation.
The trend of slow fashion reignited when the pandemic hit us, and we were trapped under its vicious claws. However unsettling, it gave opportunities for artisanal crafts and handicrafts to revive. Pandemic turned consumers into “conscious buyers“. They are now making an effort to read tags about what goes into their purchase and give out to nature.
The invention of sustainable fabrics has created a revolution; Pineapple leather by Pinatex, linen from flax plant and better cotton initiatives. Inculcating sustainable fashion habits at the workplace, designer duo Aakriti and Sukriti work with digital designs, refraining the use of disposable cutlery. Thrift stores, too, have proved to be a major pillar in sustainable fashion.
But Is India Ready For Sustainable Fashion?
India is progressing towards sustainable fashion and eco-friendly labels, but this remains uncertain. Any policy formulation towards this will require considering both socioeconomic factors and the availability of resources. The biggest challenge towards attaining sustainable fashion in India is high-end consumer price; in a country like India, purchasing power remains highly unequal. The World Inequality 2022 report describes the post-pandemic picture of national income, stating how the bottom share of distribution has gone from 50% to 13%.
Considering the rampant inequalities in income, investing in “sustainable fashion” won’t be the first choice for many middle-class families. Our favourite brands H&M, Zara, Forever 21, are a few names that ground the fast fashion trends having global consequences. In a report by Vox, Zara alone churns out roughly 840 million garments every year for its 6,000 stores worldwide, often at sub-poverty wages for its workers.
Another hindering factor is the necessity of the trickle-down effect. To establish the goal, transparency is significant in terms of dealing with fabrics to spread awareness among the masses. However, this isn’t enough for sustainable fashion in India, “We’ve stopped working on our page for quite some time now, the reason being that the city I live in is not yet aware and educated about thrifting and moreover there are no big thrift shops or other shops that sell thrifted stuff, so it was being very difficult to source for student-owned thrift stores.”
Sustainable fashion in India is limited to handlooms presently, which is not enough for the textile industry. If India has to delve into slow fashion, the fine line between rich and poor has to be minimised; owing to the artisans their rightful pay. Talking to my friends, I gathered how sustainable fashion isn’t easy. With limited pocket money and necessitating other expenses, clothing isn’t always the priority.
Checking labels has become an important aspect, but under the garb of “Go Green” labels lies secrets we don’t know. Thus sustainable fashion for India seems utopic in the upcoming times. However, the fashion industry is evolving every day and seeing the trends in upcoming years and the existence of fast and slow fashion will be interesting to follow.
Note: The author is part of the Dec ’21 batch of the Writer’s Training Program.