There is an increasing buzz about sustainability in all aspects of life. From the things we use to the food we consume, even to the clothes we wear, Sustainability has permeated in almost all facets of our lives. The current generation is conscious of the environment and is very particular of the usage of harmful or man-made colours which can wreak havoc on the already depleting environment.
Sustainable Fashion has come to play a major role and seeks to minimize the negative and harmful effects on the environment. Before we delve into sustainable fashion, it is important to understand WHAT Sustainable Fashion is and what constitutes it. Simply put, Sustainable Fashion are garments which are designed, manufactured using natural fabrics. In other words, Sustainable Fashion are those clothing that are made and used in ways that are environmentally friendly. It also includes processes, activities and people to achieve carbon neutrality. For eg. Under the Signature Wear by P N RAO BRAND apparels are designed and made using natural fabrics that conform to sustainable fashion norms and aims to reduce carbon footprint.
Another aspect which demonstrates our care for the environment goes back to the ideology of our founder late Shri Pishe Narayan Rao of not wasting a single piece of cloth – a value that we are carrying on, even to this day and living up to his founding philosophy. Sustainable Fashion walks hand in hand with Slow Fashion, a concept that is built on awareness and an approach to buying garments that are made to last over a period of time and prevent quick landfills. In lay man’s language, slow fashion not only propagates the use of natural / environment friendly materials, an added element is “less garments, but qualitative garments”. In other words, garments which last for a longer period of time whereby the per wear cost is significantly lower. There is also an emotional and cultural connection behind slow fashion. Consumers invariably keep garments for more than one season, echoing the concept of less garments, but qualitative ones. Having said this, the essence of slow fashion are: one, lesser, but qualitative garments and two, garments which are more natural. Which translates to being good for the body/skin.
It must be borne in mind that Sustainable Fashion / Slow Fashion has 3 parts to it – 1) The fibre that is used in the production of the fabric. In most women’s wear garments, the usage of man-made fibre is more vis-à-vis natural fibres. 2) The production phase or the process of making the garment. Even at the production phase, the effect on the environment must be borne in mind and 3) Buying by the end consumer. The key to sustainable fashion is in “better or mindful buying” of natural garments which last over a period of time.
The Sustainable Fashion market in India is still at a nascent stage, but a fast growing one. A study by ResearchAndMarkets.com indicate that the sustainable fashion market in India is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.6% during 2021-2026 and that is fuelled by increased consumer awareness, availability of sustainable materials, government initiatives, etc, As per a research report by Boston Consulting Group, India’s Sustainable Fashion Market is expected to touch USD 9 billion by 2025.
Shared by : Mr. Ketan Pishe,
Partner, P N RAO
