FEATURE
EMERGING PLAYERS
Several smaller entrants, too, are redefining the
way in which buyers look at sustainable apparel,
thus compelling bigger players to become
more agile, dynamic, and considerate in their
production processes.
Peekaboo is a kids’-wear brand, which has
eco-friendliness at its heart. Poonam Naik Desai,
CEO, says, “When we had our son, his comfort
was our priority, especially because he had
sensitive skin. We found it challenging to find
clothes that would have the right blend of quality
and design without compromising on comfort,
more so when it came to sleepwear. Having
earlier worked with global kids’-wear brands, I
was well aware of the quality standards in terms
of design and aesthetics along with workmanship
and comfort. This propelled me to start a
sleepwear label for kids.”
Poonam says that right from the beginning, she
was determined to use natural fibres, lead-free
dyes, and digital printing technologies, which,
as compared to traditional printing, reduces
overall water usage, thereby cutting down on the
discharge of waste water.
Sujata and Taniya Biswas, the sisters who have
co-founded Suta, a design house specialising
in handwoven saris, says, “Sustainability has
been a way of life for Indians since ancient
times. A shining example is the khesh weaving
technique, which involves tearing up older saris
and using that fabric to weave brand-new ones.
We loved this concept but found khesh saris
@Suta
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I APPAREL I
December 2019
to be heavy and too warm for our weather.
So we introduced the mul khesh saris and
they have worked really well. The designs are
unpredictable as they depend on the colour
of the older sari, and that is enchanting by
itself. We have also been reusing our polythene
packaging for internal operations for over six
years now, and have not yet disposed the
plastic. We train our staff to tear the polythene
carefully so that all of it can be reused multiple
times for different purposes.”
In addition, there are multiple small brands
such as Harit Khadi by W, Bengaluru-based
Taaka Clothing, Rengé by Sheena Uppal,
and many more, which are championing
sustainability by lowering their environmental
footprint, sourcing organic and eco-friendly
materials, focusing on fair wages, and many
other ways.
This goes on to validate that sustainable
fashion, is no doubt, here to stay. What
remains to be done is separating the wheat
from the chaff.
“SUSTAINABILITY HAS BEEN A
WAY OF LIFE FOR INDIANS SINCE
ANCIENT TIMES.”