Slow fashion involves various communities to create what’s good for the Earth. Weavers, designers, artisans, and more — diverse individuals come together to craft every single piece. As the name suggests, slow fashion indicates the production style; the labels source their raw materials ethically and make apparel in gradual, small batches. Sustainable and every bit responsible, these brands promote thoughtful consumption and make the best even out of scraps and leftover fabric. They prefer using biodegradable and eco-friendly fabrics that also offer longevity. Plus, they pay their workers ethically and provide hygienic and safe working conditions.
“If you pay a little more, we can live a little better.”
– Sharti Atka, a Bangladeshi garment worker
As slow fashion gains currency and acceptability with its importance getting widely understood, we look at some Indian slow fashion labels that are championing sustainability.
“If you pay a little more, we can live a little better.”
– Sharti Atka, a Bangladeshi garment worker
Dipti Mrinalini Label: Based out of Hyderabad, Dipti Mrinalini’s label advocates slow and sustainable fashion. As a firm believer in a sustainable lifestyle, Dipti often engages in conversations around the importance of fair trade, wages, and eco-friendly fabric. This label works with various artisans and weavers directly. The colour palette is soothing, and if you prefer understated and earthy tones or whites, you’ll adore this label. Also, Dipti ethically sources handloom sarees from Indian weavers; from Kalamkari to Ikat — you’ll find a wide range of options. To avoid fabric wastage, Dipti and her team handcraft decor accents from leftover fabric. Apart from womenswear, they also make menswear and kidswear and ship across India.
Source: Dipti Mrinalini Label
Doodlage: Doodlage is an exciting slow fashion brand offering colours and designs that are playful and striking. Run by Kriti Tula and Paras Arora, this label upcycles factory waste, recycles post-consumption user waste, and adopts the zero-waste lifestyle by crafting leftover scraps into charming accessories. Whether you’re a minimalist or love a burst of shades — Doodlage has something for everyone. All their pieces are created in ethical production units in limited batches only. You’ll also find Doodlage taking part in online conversations about sustainability and the importance of recycling and extending garment usage.
Source: Doodlage
Cancelled Plans: Founded by Mallika Reddy, Cancelled Plans is another interesting slow-fashion label. This label collects industrial waste, discarded condoms, plastic, and billboard scrap, and upcycles them into durable textiles. These textiles are crafted into apparel and accessories. Streetwear fashion and design are at the forefront of their style. So, you’re not compromising on style while being responsible. They have also collaborated with Aditi Rao Hydari and Jayanti Reddy for exclusive limited-edition pieces. The label’s motto is to stimulate the circular economy and put discarded and rejected trash into use. When you pick a sweatshirt or a jacket from Cancelled Plans, you’d have a hard time believing they’re made from waste!
Source: Cancelled Plans
Baka Jewellery: Baka says it’s India’s first holistically sustainable jewellery brand covering social, economic, and cultural aspects. Founded by Rebecca Reubens, Baka aims to make enduring baubles that you can hand down as heirlooms to your next generation. This label is quite particular about how they produce their pieces; for instance, they believe in sourcing from small vendors, and they review their process of sourcing, production, packaging, and consumption at each step. They source recycled, repurposed, and recyclable raw material and give them a new lease of life.
Source: Baka Jewelry
This label takes as long as it takes to handcraft its pieces sustainably. They don’t believe in launching as per trends, and design timeless jewellery that you can flaunt throughout the year. They employ artisans and in cases where a non-artisan wants to learn the craft, Baka grants them apprenticeship and upskills them.
The Burlap People: The Burlap People champions green living and creates stunning bags that’ll carry your world, but with style. With a focus on sustainable living, organic farming, and responsible travel — The Burlap People calls itself a conscious living label. This label makes its bags from biodegradable and recyclable vegetable fiber or jute. Instead of producing bags in a factory, The Burlap People works with artisans in Calcutta; each artisan handles only one bag at a time and they craft it from the start to the end.
Source: The Burlap People
The Burlap People believes in producing long-lasting bags that you can use for years, the true marker of sustainable and slow fashion. At the moment, they’ve got duffel bags, totes, and backpacks — whatever is your style, you can pick one and live with it for years.
The Mehran Collection: Lovers of dainty jewellery, please unite! The Mehran Collection handcrafts delightful trinkets using polymer clay, which is a form of non-toxic clay that promises endurance. This label follows the made-to-order approach and produces its pieces only after an order is placed. Mehran — which also means kindness and affectionate in Persian — takes up customizations too. Their lightweight jewellery can be worn throughout the day and their quirky designs include daisies, crescent moons, sunflowers, hearts, and all things cheerful. What we love about this label is whether you’re a minimalist or love a bit extra — there’s something for all tastes. Also, this label is quite pocket-friendly.
Source: The Mehran Collection
Paaduks: Say hello to fun prints and textures with this PETA-approved vegan footwear label. The good folks behind this label use recycled and ethically sourced raw material to handcraft their footwear. Paaduk employs local cobblers and sticks to Fairtrade standards throughout, to ensure a sustainable livelihood for their artisans. Another excellent reason to invest in this label: they collect discarded rubber from items like rubber mats, old tires, conveyor belts, etc., to create soles for their footwear. They don’t use any chemical processes to make their footwear; the label also says they are moving towards a 100% sustainable approach. Besides, they are extremely comfortable and great for everyday use.
Source: Paaduks
So, the next time you set out to shop, give a miss to fast fashion brands and check these labels out; for those visiting the stores, you can strike a conversation with the folks running the stores to understand their philosophy. It is inspiring to hear people talk of the values that drive their brands! And what’s not to love? When you shop from these responsible brands, you are not only investing in beautiful, long-lasting eternal fashion but also in a sustainable future.
