The 5 Sustainable Fashion Brands Making Waves in India

So, what’s all the rage about ‘sustainable’ brands these days? Globally, the world has gone GREEN from banks and credit card companies going paperless to major brands saying NO to plastic bags. Images of verdant forests cover billboards and advertisements, while grocery store aisles overflow with products that boast eco-friendly packaging and labels.

There is a new hue in the world, one that promises a brighter tomorrow and a cleaner conscience. Everywhere you look, there are bold strokes of green-a color that symbolizes hope and a deep commitment to preserving our planet. It is slowly but surely becoming apparent that Green is the new Black and that it is the way to a better future.

As our world today becomes more aware of how individual choices impact the environment, it has led to a mindset shift in the consumers. The flag bearers of more conscious choices are the younger generations, with millennials and Gen Z proving to be the most ‘sustainability-conscious’ cohort. Research reveals that a staggering 88% of this demographic would rather buy from a brand that is committed to sustainability. 

Sustainable practices have therefore gone beyond a passing trend to become a business imperative. Today, terms like ‘low-waste’ and ‘eco-friendly’ are gaining traction, especially in the fashion industry, which alone is responsible for 10% of humanity’s carbon emissions. 

In today’s world, we cannot overstate the importance of choosing eco-friendly fashion. As environmental concerns continue to grow, opting for eco-friendly clothing has become a necessity rather than a choice. Join us in this blog post as we uncover the significance of sustainability in fashion and showcase the ethical production efforts of sustainable fashion brands in India.

Decoding Fast and Slow Fashion

It can be overwhelming to navigate terms such as ‘ethical’, ‘mindful’, ‘slow’, and ‘fast’ fashion in the realm of sustainability. It’s like trying to navigate an ever-shifting maze, with each turn leading to a new concept or idea. To help us make conscious decisions, let’s break down these terms and gain an understanding of where they fit into the big picture. 

Fast Fashion

We can describe fast fashion as a model that mass-produces ‘in-the-trend’ items, which are cheaply made and sold at low prices. According to The Economist, fast fashion is “trendy clothes at astonishingly low prices.” It goes on to say, “The result is a new and faster kind of fashion that encourages consumers to buy many items, discard them after a few wears, and then buy another bunch of new outfits.” 

It is common for manufacturers to create these garments at lightning speed, so they don’t guarantee long-lasting quality. Think of ultra-fast fashion brands like SHEIN and H&M where every season, the display window is lit with new apparel, and the same becomes obsolete after a few months. So, shoppers binge-shop the often-called “trendy” clothes and discard them after a few wears to buy the next “hot” thing. 

Fast Fashion promotes the false notion that wearing the same outfit is not ‘fashionable’ and dull. As if perpetuating false beliefs wasn’t enough, fast fashion also contributes significantly to the problem of overproduction and waste at every stage of the process. The Ellen Macarthur Foundation has estimated that every second, a truckload of abandoned textiles is dumped in landfills or incinerated, exacerbating improper waste management.

Fashion is an ever-evolving landscape, where speed is key. The fashion industry has replaced the once carefully crafted process with a race to the finish line, sacrificing craftsmanship for quick turnarounds. But at what cost? 

As we consume more and more, we contribute to the growth of our landfills with discarded clothes; we pollute our waterways with textile dyes, and we exploit our workers in the name of cheap production. Hence, we must not ignore the true price of fast fashion, which is hidden behind its alluring facade.

Slow Fashion

Slow fashion advocates for a departure from fast fashion’s rapid and disposable nature. This type of approach promotes well-made, timeless clothing instead of the ‘trendy’ pieces thrown away after a few wears. In simple terms, slow fashion is the exact opposite of fast fashion. It completely contrasts fast fashion as it takes an ethical and sustainable approach to clothing production.

Skilled craftsmanship, transparency in production, and fair labor practices are valued. Slow Fashion philosophy is always a ‘quality over quantity’ approach, very much in contrast to fast-fashion. In 2007, Kate Fletcher of the Centre for Sustainable Fashion introduced the term “slow fashion” when she recognized the need for a slower pace in the fashion industry. This inspiration came to her from the slow food movement.

Sustainable, ethical, and slow fashion are akin to siblings in the vast wardrobe of style movements. However, one characteristic distinguishes slow fashion from the rest – its unwavering dedication to reducing consumption and production above all.

The goal is to restore the pre-industrial era, where clothing was seen as a durable investment rather than the throwaway pastime of the modern era. It’s a graceful and revolutionary idea that asks us to slow down, appreciate the art of fashion, and prioritize long-term usefulness over fleeting trends.

According to a Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), extending the life of clothing by an extra nine months could reduce carbon, water and waste footprint by 20-30% each and cut resource costs by 20%. Simply put, the potential benefits of opting for a more eco-friendly approach, like buying durable clothes and learning to repair and care for them, are immense.

What is Sustainable and Mindful Fashion?

Nowadays, the term sustainability is becoming more and more popular. When we say sustainable, the first image that pops into our minds is plant-based diets, climate change, and recycling. However, sustainability is much more than what we usually associate it with. 

According to the Penn State Sustainability Institute, sustainability means “pursuing human health and happiness, environmental quality, and economic well-being simultaneously for present and future generations.” Therefore, sustainability is not only about preserving the environment. Its ensuring equal awareness of social well-being, economic development, and environmental protection for the future.

The concept of ‘sustainable fashion’ covers every aspect of the fashion industry, from the production methods and materials used to the treatment of all stakeholders. Its goal is to achieve a carbon-neutral fashion industry that promotes equality, social justice, animal welfare, and environmental preservation. 

Whereas ‘mindful fashion’ as a concept complements the sustainable movement by placing the onus on consumers to be more deliberate and thoughtful about their fashion choices. It is just like ‘mindful eating’, where you are careful about what you put on your plate. So, ‘mindfulness’ in fashion promotes an evaluative mindset, urging people to care about the longevity, utility, and ethical standards of their clothing & accessories. 

Sustainable and mindful fashion is not just about choosing eco-friendly materials, it is a complete change in our attitude towards what we wear. The idea covers every aspect of the fashion industry, from design to production to distribution. 

So, legit socially responsible brands adopt different creative ways to source and produce their garments; which doesn’t harm the environment and its people. For example, they often use reusable, recyclable, or compostable materials in their packaging, because they are committed to promoting circularity and waste reduction. 

Some characteristics of a sustainable fashion brand 

• When making garments, these brands consider the durability factor. They usually use eco-friendly, lower-impact materials like linen, organic cotton, and hemp. 
• The use of recycled material to make fabric is common, for example; breaking plastic bottles to fibres to make recycled polyester.
• These brands ensure fair wages and safe working conditions for their labor and employees. Because they are paying a livable wage, their prices are usually high. 
• These brands prioritize transparency. Their website would have all the information about the sourcing, manufacturing & supply chain practices. Material origins and production methods would be readily available.
• These brands respect and protect animal rights and the environment in their production.
• Manufacturers do not produce garments in large quantities, and sometimes brands enforce a “made to order” condition because they have adopted a zero waste policy. 

The Rise of Mindful Fashion Brands in India

India is one of the largest garment manufacturers in the world. The country employs over 45 million people, and fashion businesses worldwide have commissioned their work to Indian artisans. There are more than 30 textile crafts in India, and nearly every state in the country is home to several craft clusters.

Since ancient times, fabrics like cotton, jute, and silk have dominated trade between India and the rest of the world. However, India is not only known for its skilled labor but also for being the largest producer of organic cotton globally, with regenerative farming practices that are quickly gaining popularity.

As of today, several slow fashion brands and indie-designer labels are changing the fashion landscape by reviving our nation’s dying handloom sector, vulnerable crafts, and traditional techniques while combining them with eco-friendly practices. Let’s explore and promote India’s top sustainable fashion brands and create a more ethical fashion industry. 

TOP 5 Sustainable Fashion Brands in India

Fabindia

Fabindia is a consumer lifestyle platform that boasts a legacy of 62 years in which it supports local artisans and their craft techniques. An American, John Bissel, who started exporting home furnishings in 1960, found the brand, and then stepped into domestic retail in 1976 when it opened its first store in New Delhi.

Their mission is to bring consumers a choice of lifestyle products that are an alternative to the mass-produced, while also creating sustainable livelihoods for rural communities. Its business model is based on ESG principles, which place it in a different category from other Indian retailers. 

FabIndia has long promoted Indian artisans and links over 55000 craft-based rural laborers and farmers to urban markets in the country. The brand is genuinely sustainable in all its actions since it advocates for eco-friendly activities in its supply chain. They make use of recycled and naturally grown materials like banana fiber, jute, water hyacinth, and hemp in their products.

Besides, it also has great recycling programs for plastic, paper, and even leftover fabric scraps that are innovatively used to make new products thus, showing its resourcefulness. For example, to reduce textile waste, the brand has incorporated the traditional ‘Gudri’ technique into its clothing collection, which uses leftover, rejected fabric scraps and patches them together. 

No Nasties

No Nasties brand pledges loyalty to 100% organic, fair trade, and vegan principles. It has become a well-known brand today in the Indian sustainable fashion space due to its simple and relaxed clothing aesthetic, which is also quite accessible. People also know it as one of the most affordable brands in India for purchasing sustainable clothing.

In 2011, Apurva Kothari launched the label in response to the tragedy of suicides among cotton farmers in the country. Therefore, the founder conceptualized a ‘social enterprise’ to empower the farming community in the country. By making every garment with 100% organic cotton and sourcing from a Fair Trade supply chain, they demonstrate their commitment to cotton farmers. Needless to say, No Nasties is India’s first Fairtrade-certified apparel brand. 

Through investments in solar and wind energy carbon offset projects, the brand measures and offsets the carbon footprint of each garment to keep its CO2 footprint in check. Likewise, the label promotes a “planet-positive” approach by planting three trees for every purchase. 

Doodlage

A trailblazer in the upcycling sphere, Doodlage founded by Kriti Tula in 2012, creatively repurposes fabric remnants into fashionable, unique garments. Their innovative process directly confronts the issue of textile waste. Kriti conceptualized the brand after noticing massive amounts of textile waste while interning at an export house. The founder decided to start upcycling after seeing how textile waste from the fashion industry ends up in landfills. 

Doodlage promotes circularity and sustainability by using industrial & consumer waste to create men’s and women’s clothing. They repair, reuse, refurbish, and recycle waste materials in their collections. On their website, they categorize themselves into three categories: ‘Made from factory waste,’ ‘Made from consumer waste,’ and ‘Made to be zero waste.’ 

The company strives to reduce its production waste as much as possible, repurposing any excess materials to create bags and home decorations. Last year, the brand took a more innovative approach to sustainability by redefining its packaging. Its fashion garment bags have a self-destructing technology—which means the bags are recyclable, but if they escaped into the open environment; they would transform into an earth-friendly wax. 

Nicobar

Inspired by the serene Nicobar Islands, the contemporary lifestyle brand offers products that embody elegance, simplicity, and sustainability. Husband-and-wife duo Raul Rai and Simran Lal found this brand out of a desire for durable products made of natural materials, something that was lacking in a world dominated by fast fashion. Their mission was to create clothing and homeware that would stand the test of time and remain in style for years. The core philosophy is simple: design long-lasting products, not trend-driven products. 

Their products are inspired by natural materials and design and influenced by the indigenous culture of India. Nicobar truly embraces a mindfulness-led approach in its business: ‘We believe in thoughtful, intentional living,’ states their introduction page. For sustainability, the label has shown to make responsible choices, starting from production to the finished product. 

Their material library is inspired by nature, and they use sustainable materials such as organic cotton, recycled polyester, TENCEL, biodegradable Bemeberg, and bamboo fabric in their collections. Even their packaging style reflects their sustainable ethos. The brand significantly reduced its plastic packaging by 85%, starting from its third year of conception. They now use paper, egg trays, shredded paper, and corrugated sheets instead of air pouches and foam pouches.

Okhai

This apparel and lifestyle brand had an NGO base. In 1996, the Tata Chemicals Society for Rural Development (TCSRD) established this apparel and lifestyle brand as a social enterprise, aiming to empower drought-hit artisans in Gujarat. In recent years, it has emerged as one of the finest sustainable fashion brands, with an exclusive collection of all things handcrafted. 2015 was a turning point when Kirti Poonia, from Tata Group, reinvented the social enterprise by starting with 350 women artisans in Gujrat and reinvented traditional handicrafts to make a lifestyle brand. 

The brand helps sustain various crafts in India by partnering with different craft-based organizations and providing them with an online platform to sell their products. Okhai’s apparel includes heritage crafts like Ikat, Jamdani, and Ajrakh. The brand follows a dropship model where they source products directly from artisans and ship them to customers. The proceeds from sales go towards the welfare of the artisans themselves. 

The goal of Okhai was twofold: to equip women artisans with the skills and confidence needed to earn a living, and to revive traditional crafts in danger of extinction. By providing their craftswomen with training in a diverse range of skills, the label empowers them economically and also works towards preserving their cultural heritage. Today, it’s a thriving business where the brand has taken 2566 artisans under its umbrella and has established a strong online presence of more than 300,000 followers.