Sustainable Designer Wear

Sustainable, a word which all of us have heard, the meaning of which everyone knows but the essence behind which has been forgotten. In a world where people are continuously displaying their lives on Social Media, sustainability has caught on as the new trend. Some might argue that that's a good thing, being a trend it will attract more people and inspire them to use it in their lives. But are people really living sustainably or is it just yet another hashtag.

Taking an example of the fashion Industry. Most brands creating designer wear promote their products as sustainable or environmentally friendly but the statistics prove otherwise. The fashion industry produces 20% of the world’s water waste, they also eject half a billion tons of microfibers each year which is equivalent to more than 50 million plastic bottles! The fashion industry has its fair share of greenhouse gas emissions as well as 10% of the world’s greenhouse gas emission comes from the fashion industry. Globally they produce 13 million tons of textile waste each year, 95% of which could be reused or recycled, but isn't currently. This goes on to prove that maybe sustainability has become just an advertising gimmick for many designer wear brands.

But in the hindsight of things, there are still designer wear brands who truly understand the essence of sustainability and incorporate it into their brand culture. One such brand is ‘ Karuna Khaitan’. Her brand’s philosophy is to create elegantly, comfortable designer wears resting on an ethical foundation.

Their manufacturing process uses only natural textiles and focuses on biodegradable and plant-based fibres like cotton, linens, silks etc. Their brand uses the finest surplus fabrics from across India and quality is given a much higher priority than quantity by them. Thus they produce a limited amount of designer wear but of exquisite quality.

Their brand has also managed to create a process through which zero waste is produced. They are working with an NGO based out of Kolkata called Sreejoni Basha. All their leftover fabrics are donated to this NGO where it is converted to other textile-based items.

The brand has also taken a remarkable step to stop using plastic in its packaging. Their designer wear is individually wrapped into eco-friendly parchment paper which then is put into self-sealing cardboard boxes and then shipped out. For their store, they use cloth bags from an NGO called IVillage which is based out of New Delhi.

Finally one of the most relevant problems the brand is focusing on is making itself a carbon neutral company. They do this by planting a tree for every order they receive from their website. They have also partnered with www.grow-trees.com to create their own grove as a tribute to their roots in Kolkata. Their trees are planted in the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve. They also incorporate a thank you card with their orders which is made from seed paper and can be used to grow your own plant. By doing this they inspire their customers to be a part of their initiative.

Today, if the many designer wear brands which make up the fashion industry decide to incorporate these small changes in their culture, the waste produced by the industry will reduce drastically. Brands like that of Karuna Khaitan have shaped the way towards a sustainable future where high-quality, natural fabrics are used to produce boutique designer wear.

As consumers, we have so much power to change the world just by choosing what we buy wisely as sustainable fashion is not just a trend but the future.