These dyes pollute our rivers and waterways due to unethical ways of disposing water waste,” she adds.” Eco-friendly MakeoverAlthough it is impossible to completely eradicate fast fashion, experts believe that planning the procurement of eco-friendly fabrics in advance and implementing the correct methods of clothes manufacturing will be integral to the fashion industry in the future.”With the pace with which the world is innovating, enhancing and improving what already exists, only time will tell whether fast fashion and sustainability will co-exist in the future. Call it a warning or a pink slip from nature, but the increasing rate of natural disasters across the world is just the beginning of an unprecedented apocalypse in waiting.” Similarly, renting clothes and repeating them multiple times instead of discarding after one-time wear is a rational way of curbing fashion wastage. “Because of such quick trend cycles, a lot of unethical ways of production has become very common. The Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh collapsed in 2013, killing more than 1,100 workers who were stitching clothes for the brand Primark. “Creating sustainable clothing and slow fashion is eco-friendly and works towards the welfare of the ecosystem. “Manufacturing eco-friendly fabrics is always a more sensible choice.”So far, government and industry self-regulators have failed to make significant progress in checking on fast fashion, but there are individuals who are opting out of fast fashion to save the planet. I have been consciously buying clothes that last longer and are made of organic materials like cotton and khadi. Dongre says, “As a nature and animal lover, and vegan, I feel very strongly about our impact on the environment. She was able to get rid of Nylon Spandex Fabrics suppliers artificial fibres from her wardrobe piece-by-piece. The fashion industry is the second largest polluting industry in the world and therefore sustainability is the need of the hour. While the original photo shows Lopez sashaying down the ramp in a Versace outfit at the Milan Fashion Week, Lelu cropped the Maid in Manhattan actress out of that setting and retrofit her against a backdrop of a climate change protest in France, as if she was leading the charge. Hence, mass-manufactured cheap goods get priority. The sad part is that these clothes don’t last very long and can be worn twice, and then you would want to get rid of the collection, which is no value for money. No matter how hard brands try to distance themselves from it, low-cost clothing companies make their money by exploiting resources, including human beings from South-East Asian countries in some cases. She says, “A few years ago, I attended an event about sustainable wear and discovered how man-made fibres are harming the planet.”Reduce, Reuse and RepairEven though certain brands have begun creating organic and environmentally conscious collections, we need to limit the volume of waste that fashion creates. “Let’s talk about a fabric like polyester. As a brand, we are striving to be sustainable and are making firm efforts to reduce our environmental footprint. For developing high customer demand, creating a takeaway price concept works well.

Sustainable clothing works towards the welfare of the ecosystem Mother Nature is already paying the price for fast fashion — but there’s hope as varied practices and movements now aim to convince others to opt for sustainable and ethical fashion.”Bengaluru-based designer Nupur Saxena of House of Primes has been working on creating yarns that are derived from milk proteins. Even her brand outlets use LED lamps and 67% of the wastewater generated in her stores is recycled which is then deployed for toilet flushing and lawn irrigation.Designer Anita Dongre believes in the need for educating designers on sustainable fibres and reducing fabric waste. He reiterated that labels must stop engaging in a “contest” to make so many clothes. The idea of a conscious closet where you borrow items you will wear only a few times and embrace renting over owning is a great way to stay sustainable. “More than 50% of fast fashion goes to a bin without even the tag being removed,” she adds.Dressing the ProblemWith the value of global fashion industry touching three trillion USD, and an estimated annual consumption of 80 billion pieces of clothing globally, it is high time we take responsibility for our actions and move towards sustainable ways. Even the process of dyeing releases tonnes of wastewater.

“One of the biggest harm done to humans is through chemically-produced clothes, as the micro-fibres, made of plastic, cause cancer and also have disastrous effects on water bodies. Sanchit Baweja, the co-founder of online rental platform Stage3, says, “Women are increasingly opting for renting as it bridges the gap between accessibility and ownership.RE initiative by the Ministry of Textiles, which is a step towards making a Sustainable India by 2025,” she explains. There is a world of difference in-hand feel and slow fashion helps in the preservation of the tradition. Aditi Swain, founder of PETA approved vegan brand De Chevalerie en Rouge, points out the benefits of recycling, renting and repeating outfits. We have also joined hands with the SU. Bengaluru-based entrepreneur, Amulya Nagraj, chose sustainable clothing over fast fashion. Handmade garments are a bit more expensive to buy so you end up buying in limited number, and automatically stop following mindless trends. According to a report from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, if the fashion sector continues on its current trajectory, its share of carbon emission could rise to 26% by 2050 and will have a “disastrous” effect on the planet. These trends generally rely on people’s gullibility and need to be assessed seriously,” she says.Till then, dig the old wardrobe or raid your mother’s trunk to recycle a garment that you haven’t touched in years. When we talk about sustainability, it is important to understand how to reduce the pollutants.

That’s where recycling and reusing clothes come into the picture.Veteran designer Ritu Kumar feels that such fashion becomes an impediment towards conserving heritage classics. Sreyashi Halder, head designer at TCNS Clothing, has collaborated with the Indian government to make her brand more sustainable.com supported the planting of 25,000 trees as a part of Earth Day celebrations at Bassi Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajasthan last year.The heartbreaking photos of sea animals struggling with human waste that pop up on your social media feed are a startling reminder of the adverse effects of releasing industrial waste into the sea. These clothes are produced at low costs in order to push customers to buy more week after week, explains Mahima Gujral, founder of Sui, a brand that’s aiming to promote and create awareness on green fashion.Senior designer Rina Dhaka feels consumers should make a conscious choice.If there is an image that sums up one of the biggest concerns of our times, it has to be the photoshopped image of Jennifer Lopez by French writer and artist Thomas Lelu. For example, a pair of denim uses tonnes of water during its multiple washing processes. We have collaborated with the Harit Khadi mission that uses solar power-driven charkhas in the manufacturing process of the fabric as well as employs a huge number of women. Well-known designer Ranna Gill calls fast fashion a “critical industrial trend” and believes that despite the consciousness about sustainable options, there will always be a market for cheap clothes and illegal practices. She says, “Though khadi is the most organic and eco-friendly, fibres obtained from bamboo, banana, and eucalyptus plants (known as Lyocell or Tencel) are also being used to create clothes. And the problem is only set to get worse in the coming years. This reduces water consumption and waste.An industry known to be the second largest cause of pollution on the planet, it is now also established that ‘fast fashion’ is a major contributor to greenhouse gases, water, and air pollution, creating appalling levels of waste that cannot be managed. A handloom Kota takes the weaver minimum of 20 to 30 days and costs more. This fabric cannot be naturally dyed, hence chemical infused dyes are used to colour the fabric. The message hit hard, and the image, originally shared on Instagram, perfectly encapsulated the fashion industry’s environmental impact. Now my mantra is to shop less but mindfully, and it keeps my carbon footprint in check.Fast fashion, simply put, is clothes produced faster and in larger quantities, in comparison to the classic fashion system of four seasons. But the onus doesn’t only lie with the designer; it’s also the consumer’s responsibility to invest in sustainable clothing. With the production of clothes almost doubling since 2000, nearly 5% of all landfill space is now consumed by textile waste. It’s an option with a smaller carbon footprint and also allows you to get access to top designer outfits at just 10 % of the MRP. As a part of a unique consumer engagement campaign, her brand in collaboration with grow-trees. We should not adopt the ‘use and throw’ ideology popular in the West, as it eliminates harmful waste. We have yarns that are derived from milk and soy proteins to arrive at textures like silk and cashmere,” she says. Since such clothes are priced low, we don’t even think twice before buying it and as a result, there is a wardrobe full of clothes, highlights designer Medhavini of the label Resha by Medhavini. How these clothes are made doesn’t hold up to scrutiny either. “People buy marketing manoeuvres as opposed to having their own personal instincts. These are easy to throw away and are generally nondegradable.”The Problem of PlentyFast fashion, simply put, is clothes produced faster and in larger quantities, in comparison to the classic fashion system of four seasons. “The issue is that these clothes are quick to copy. “As a customer, I have a choice of a power loom mill made sari and a Kota sari which is for Rs 450 onwards. One-time retail visitors turn quickly into loyal customers, who are price-sensitive and have an urge to be fashionable according to the trend.Mumbai-based environmentalist and director of NGO Vanashakti, Stalin Dayanand explains the ill effects of mass-scale produced clothes.

In an interview, iconic French designer Jean Paul Gaultier called it a ‘disaster’ and mentioned that big fashion brands are harming the planet by producing “far too many collections with far too many clothes”. “Present-day consumers are more aware of sustainability.What we need is a change of perspective — to focus on the bigger picture than short-term monetary gains. Its production process is extremely harmful as it’s made from petroleum products.Gujral highlights how cost-cutting by adopting unethical practices at the manufacturing level causes harm to the environment. After that, I did decided not to buy clothes that are made using chemicals. Yet people buy it, and the brands are thriving. Someone somewhere is paying the price — the Rana Plaza building collapse accident is an example of how fast fashion and competitive pricing can claim lives,” adds Medhavini. It creates more jobs from the farm to the finished stage,” says Nupur. You could be the next trendsetter in the ongoing sustainable drive —take your chance, be woke!. Recently, she even collaborated with Lenzing™ group to use their wood-based fibres Ecovero™ and Tencel™. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) suggests that 35% of all microplastics — fine pieces of plastic that are non-biodegradable — come from synthetic textiles such as polyester and nylon