Slow Down – A sustainable Fashion Collection

We earthizens have collectively done more harm than good to our planet in the last 100 years. But the good news is that a lot of people from around the world have become environmentally conscious. They are taking the initiative to undo the harm caused. Sustainability is the need of the hour! And so, I present my sustainable fashion collection.

In fashion, there are a few ethical brands that have come up in the last few years. They are working towards Eco-friendly clothing and being environmentally conscious. However, most of them are either luxury designer brands or are standalone boutiques.

Born and bought up in Bangalore, I had not switched on a fan until I was 18. Nor had I carried an umbrella to shade myself from the sun. But in the last 5 years, the heat in this so-called Garden City has become increasingly unpleasant. It is almost impossible to live without an AC. It frightens me hearing that Chennai has run out of ground water. Is Bangalore next in line? Can you even imagine a life without water?

Foray into sustainability

Being in the fashion industry for more than 7 years, I know how much waste garment production generates. It causes great pain to see more than 3 samples made just for a single garment. Therefore, I took it as a challenge and my personal responsibility to become the harbinger of sustainable fashion, and work towards doing my bit for the earth, with my collection.

I absolutely do not want the fashion industry to fail humanity. We have shifted from retail to E-commerce in a matter of 10 years. Then why can’t we undisputedly manage to move from fast-paced discount-driven fashion to slow sustainable fashion? Consumers behave like children; any and all market trends are accepted, no matter what is propagated. Right now, they are in the discounted E-commerce phase. I envision a day when we don’t impulsively buy clothes to wear just half of them. What I see is people holding themselves accountable, about what they buy and what collection of clothes they have, and moving onto a more sustainable fashion trend.

Being a textile designer, I could have used printing and other techniques to enhance the looks of the garments. But I refrained from all the ecologically unfriendly methods. I have tried to be aesthetic and minimal without causing harm to the environment. Firstly, I have used waste buttons, sequins, and fabric swatches, which go to companies for initial selection, from small boutiques and even from manufacturers. Further, I have used thread tubes that have 5-10% of thread left in them and are thrown out as waste.

A lot of macramé yarns and other jewellery trinkets that I use haven’t been purchased, but are those that have been accumulated by my seniors during my 4 years of fashion college. I have also used sarees that the previous 2-3 generations have enjoyed wearing.

Plastic Menace

Single-use plastic covers that are for packaging use, go directly into landfills! If they aren’t monitored, we will never have a chance to correct ourselves! Belts and bags are made using old washing-machine covers, teapoy covers and rubber-sheets. Accessories are made from new-age problematic plastic dabbas, like food delivery storage containers.

In the past couple of weeks, I stumbled upon a lot of enthusiastic potential artisans while trying to get my garments made. One of them who showed interest in learning how to make jewellery, was my own maid! It seemed that she had also worked in garment industry a long while back. She told me that she had tried agarbatti packing in her free time. But she had preferred going for a lesser paying maid job, since it was tedious. However, she implied that she wouldn’t have minded having a little fun making craft in her leisure time.

She introduced me to her local friends, who actually made rugs and mats out of chinidi. I also stumbled upon some women from North Karnataka who stitch Kaudi – a kind of patchwork quilt.

This experience gave me a new direction. These women, who work as house-helps near their homes, are able to complete just 2/3rd’s of the houses a day. During afternoons, they are generally free and would love some extra income. So, I thought, ‘Why not, while helping the environment with sustainable fashion, help these artisans who have left their heritage crafts and moved to cities, just because being a house-help supports them better than being a craftsman?’

The Sustainable Collection – Fluxing Fete

The collection aims to build a range of transitional clothing – smart, effortless work-wear that are perfect for a night out as well. The use of my grandma’s old sarees as patchwork and trims, and the buttons from my discarded clothing are the highlights of this range. Plastics are converted into accessories and jewellery.

Hope you all like the Collection. It would be great if I got any kind of feedback. And if I can hear your thoughts about my sustainable fashion collection, it would be even greater!