October 2019 Edition Apparel October 2019 issue | Page 54

FEATURE
A Conscious
Celebration
Organic clothing is making a sure and steady mark on the entire
apparel spectrum. Bindu Gopal Rao chronicles.
While sustainable fashion may have become the ‘it’ thing to be embraced by
designers and fashion enthusiasts, there is no denying that making the world of
fashion a kinder place to live in has turned into the need of the hour. Organic clothing,
a branch of sustainable fashion, is that which is grown sans pesticides, herbicides
or any chemicals, employing the use of natural fertilizers. It is usually certified by an
agency; a garment can be called organic only if it constitutes a minimum of 70 per
cent certified organic fibres. While organic cotton is the most common of all natural
fibres, bamboo, hemp, ramie, and Tencel—among many others—have also caught
the attention of the global industry.
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I APPAREL I
October 2019
THE ADVANTAGE
Today’s times see more and more designers and labels taking to organic fibres and
fabrics that, in turn, bring them closer to eco-fashion. Anand Saraf, Chief Executive
Officer (CEO), Verse, says, “Organic fabrics are grown using methods and materials
that have a low impact on the environment.” Chirag Tekchandaney, Co-founder and
Director, B Label, avers, “The acceptance of organic fabrics is significantly catching
pace in India. We are seeing hemp being used more and more; and there is also
a rise in the use of bamboo fibres. Also, higher-quality organic cotton, known as