The fashion industry has a huge impact on the planet – 10% of the world’s annual carbon emissions to be precise. It’s not just one of the most polluting, water intensive and waste generating industries but also one that exploits human labour extensively.
As consumers worldwide buy more clothes, the growing market for cheap items and new styles is taking a toll on the environment.
Consumerism has taken a toll on the environment. In 2014, people bought 60% more clothes than they did in 2000. Studies also show that while purchase for clothes increased, the duration of the usage decreased with as much as 85% of the clothes ending up in landfills.
Now more than ever, we need to hold a mirror to ourselves and rethink our fashion choices. Who makes your clothes? How much are they paid? What are their working conditions? What material are they using? How did they source the material?
There’s an urgent need to shift to ethical and sustainable brands that is better for you and the planet.
We’ve put together a list of 5 brands who tick off all the above questions with their transparent practices.
From creating employment opportunities for India’s rural artisans to helping underprivileged women build their skills and confidence by getting involved in the industry, Okhai as a brand has conceptualised multiple ways of giving back to the society, and the country at large. With the help of self-help groups, Okhai has managed to train and empower a significant number of rural women through their persistent efforts to bring Indian traditional handcraft techniques back into contemporary focus.
Anokhi is a Jaipur based sustainable fashion label. They are known for their vibrant hand block printed ethnic clothes. They aim to revive traditional textile skills and provide employment opportunities to local artisans. They want to have an open and honest relationship with their craftsmen and ensure that they are involved in the process throughout.
Eco Clothing India was started in order to bring about a change in the Indian Fashion Industry by promoting organic clothing and making it affordable for everyone. They work closely with the artisans in Rajasthan to make prints that focus on Indian heritage. Their vision is to provide customers with hand crafted products which help support and encourage good craftsmanship.
Pomogrenade is a woman owned, ethical fashion brand focusing on making clothes with locally sourced fabrics. Their mission is to reduce the amount of fabric that lands up in landfills. They use a combination of surplus cotton fabric, and natural dyes. They strongly believe in a fair trade manufacturing process that supports and empowers people.
No Nasties is an organic, fair trade, vegan, carbon-neutral clothing brand based in Goa, India. Another woman owned brand that operates out of Goa, the founder Apurva Kothari who strongly believes in transparency and ethical practices.
