Responsible Fashion
Over the past few seasons, there has been a noticeable shift in the message pushed out at Lakmé Fashion Week, India’s premier bi-annual fashion showcase. From being a mere platform to showcase designers and eventually garner sales, there has been a strong message of responsible fashion, with sustainability being a keyword. Given India’s longstanding heritage with textiles and sustainable fashion, it comes as no surprise, then, that Lakmé Fashion Week’s increased focus on sustainability is garnering a lot of attention. Jaspreet Chandok, Vice President and Head of Fashion at IMG sets the context for this trend, “We at Lakmé Fashion Week started with a strong focus towards Indian textiles seven years back. Over the years, we have evolved to include all stakeholders across the value chain and we have broadened the narrative to include both the human and the ecological side of sustainability.” That said, every season, the fashion showcase earmarks a separate day, which they call Sustainable Fashion Day and this brings together global organisations like the United Nations, the Ministry of Textiles and the British Council. The idea is to bring leading innovators, designers and large textile and retail businesses towards a common platform to drive the industry forward, towards a more sustainable future. “This is particularly important, given that fashion is the second largest polluter in the world,” adds Chandok.
A thought that is reflected by a bunch of dynamic, participating designers at LFW. A case in point is Pune-based designer Karishma Shahani Khan whose label Ka-Sha has an inherently conscious DNA. The designer says, “My label is built on the idea of conscious fashion. It is important to note that this is not only environmental consciousness but social consciousness also. Sustainability means asking about the product. Who makes it. How is it made. How is it discarded. We need to worry about a sustainable livelihood for people.” Another element that the designer highlights is that consumers today need to wean themselves away from mass-produced products that do not last. This points in the direction of slow fashion, by creating something that is long-lasting and good quality. “When you have something that is in good quality, it lasts longer, and you consume less. This is a sustainable move,” adds Shahani Khan.
What Can Brands Do
This leads us to the next question — is Indian sustainable fashion going in the right direction? Has the Indian fashion industry taken enough strides in the direction of responsible production and consumption? Jaspreet Chandok comments, “We have a long way to go right now for a larger acceptance of sustainable fashion in its global environmental definition. We are, however, seeing a lot of traction of brands willing to engage with eco-fabrics instead of non-eco-fabrics. There also seems to be some traction on the consumer level as it is with acceptance of natural, eco and organic choices, across categories. A lot of designer brands at the top of the pyramid are also driving change with pilot projects and new technologies, which can have more large scale possibilities in the future.” In the very same way, one can see Ka-Sha’s example — she banks a lot on the concept of upcycling. “We reduce leftovers as much as possible. As a result, you will see that we do weaving, hand embroidery and even macramé using scraps that are left over.”
Another designer that is vehemently pushing the sustainable fashion agenda is Pondicherry-based, Naushad Ali, whose showcase at Lakmé Fashion Week’s recently concluded season won accolades for the four-year-old brand. Since the label’s inception, the designer has sought to push the message of sustainability, without blindly chasing trends. “At one level, we started looking for fabrics. We started working with weavers and artisans from across India to source fabrics. That said, fabrics are not the only solution for sustainable fashion. It is a bigger problem. In our studio, we try to adopt zero-waste practices.” Interesting, then, that Naushad Ali’s creations are without sizes, and hence this eliminates wastage. “We must remember that recycling and upcycling are not seasonal, trend-driven ideas, but a lifestyle that we need to incorporate,” says the designer, who has been chosen as the India representative at the International Fashion Showcase on sustainability, organised by the British Fashion Council.
Not to be outdone is Simran Lal’s fashion brand Good Earth, which made its Lakme Fashion Week debut with its magnificent capsule collection called The Miniaturist, designed by Namrata Rathi. With a focus on gota work, going back to one’s roots and slow fashion, the collection presented 27 curated ensembles, created by native Jaipur artisans using fabrics like silk kota, gajji silk and mashru.
The India Connect
We in India are not strangers to sustainable practices, it is, in many ways, engrained in our system. India’s leading fashion blogger and trend commentator, Aanam Chashmawala comments, “In some way or the other, in India, we have always practised sustainability. We reuse a lot of clothes, repurpose them, and even love heirloom saris that are passed on through generations. There has always been an inherent style in our country, in the humblest of villages too. With all this tradition under our belt, we need to capitalise on it and think of the future. We must always be informed of where your clothes are coming from, who made them, and if the makers have been paid well. This will automatically involve you in the sustainable movement.” “One thing to reflect on is how your clothes are discarded as well,” reminds Shahani-Khan.
Global Partnerships
Arguably one of the turning points in the Indian fashion industry this season was the launch of Lakmé Fashion Week’s collaboration with Lenzing, from Austria, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of sustainable fibres. Lenzing partnered with leading Indian designer Rajesh Pratap Singh, who showcased a collection created with eco-friendly fibres, using Indian craft techniques and hand weaving traditions. The focus of the collection was Lenzing’s Tencel fibre — derived from sustainable wood sources and harvested from 100 per cent traceable certified and controlled sources, and certified as biodegradable and compostable. Rajesh Pratap Singh presented his Indian, ethnic collection with creations combining Tencel with traditional Indian techniques like chanderi, banarasi, jamdaani and hand-block prints.
“In attendance at the show, we had CEOs of over 15 retail companies, who will, in turn, help us spark the next wave towards sustainability on an industry level,” says Chandok.
In conclusion, he also talks about the recently launched Circular Design Challenge. “As India’s largest sustainability award, in collaborations with the United Nations and Fashion for Earth by R-Elan, this initiative will acknowledge and reward innovators in sustainable techniques and provide them with seed capital to grow.”
