India’s demand for sustainable fashion is growing, thus more and more homegrown brands are choosing the road to sustainability. With customers making conscious buying decisions, the market has seen a gradual rise in sustainable fashion brands. Handicrafts are more encouraged. The customer is now, looking forward to exploring variety alongside creativity keeping the traditional essence intact in new fashion trends.
Here are some of the top-notch sustainable fashion brands you need to know before making your next purchase:-
1. Heena Agarima
Coming from the state of Rajasthan, Heena Agarima is one of the new-age fashion labels. What makes it an unusual sustainable fashion brand in India is its Natural, timeless, and conscious collection. The brand is reinventing design by taking a modern approach to tradition & fashion. Themes like Eclectic, contemporary, and romantic are achieved through a natural dying process. Instead of using the specific craft in a traditional method, they use the technique and develop a marvelous ensemble.
—”HeenaAgrima products represent the pinnacle of modern design with traditional sensibilities and are unsurpassed for their quality and attention to detail”.
2. Upasana
Based in Auroville, India, this sustainable fashion brand focuses on ethical and fair trade production practices. Founded in 1997 by Uma Prajapati, who wanted to create a company that could help uplift local artisans and communities while promoting sustainable practices.
Upasana’s products range from clothing to home decor and personal care items, and all of its offerings are made using environmentally friendly materials and production methods. For example, they use only natural dyes, organic cotton, and recycled materials in their products.
One of Upasana’s core values is to promote fair labor practices, and they work closely with local artisans and craftspeople to create their products. They also offer training and support programs for these artisans to help them improve their skills and increase their income.
In addition to its sustainable fashion products, Upasana also has several social initiatives aimed at supporting local communities. For example, they have a program called “Waste to Wealth” that upcycles waste materials into new products and provides training and employment opportunities for women.
Upasana is a brand that values sustainability, ethical production practices, and community support, and they strive to create products that are both stylish and environmentally responsible.
3. Oshadi
A contemporary womenswear brand, Oshadi is aiming to restore and maintain India’s traditional craft heritage, which now, is perishing due to industrialization.
“We integrate the tradition of excellent craftsmanship with simple, functional, and architectural designs that relate to the modern lifestyle”.
Techniques include hand weaving, natural dyeing, and IKAT dyeing by local highly skilled craftspeople Oshadi is fully crafted by artisans. Working with local artisan communities fosters employment and empowerment, develops local creativity, promotes gender equality, and reduces poverty.
The raw material they use is cruelty-free, sustainable, meat-free, and natural fibers like organic cotton, non-violent silk, linen, and wool – which minimizes energy consumption and facilitates environmental preservation.
4. Okhai
Okhai is a sustainable fashion brand based in Gujrat, India that focuses on promoting traditional Indian handicrafts and empowering rural artisans. The brand was founded in 2016 by Tata Chemicals Society for Rural Development (TCSRD), a non-profit organization that works to improve the livelihoods of rural communities in India.
The product ranges from clothing items, accessories, and home decor, all of which are made using traditional Indian handicraft techniques like embroidery, block printing, and applique. Okhai’s apparel includes heritage crafts like Ikat, Jamdani, Ajrakh, and more.
The brand’s artisan-focused approach is undoubtedly an ethical way forward, especially when it comes to fashion in India.
The clothing, while inherently traditional owing to fabric crafts used by artisan clusters, is still inclusive with respect to sizes, modern silhouettes, and price range. The brand works with rural artisans from across India to create their products, providing them with training, employment opportunities, and a platform to showcase their skills.
One of Okhai’s core values is promoting sustainable production practices. They use only natural and eco-friendly materials like organic cotton, silk, and bamboo, and they also incorporate upcycled and recycled materials into their designs. They also prioritize ethical production practices, such as fair wages and safe working conditions for their artisans.
In addition to their focus on traditional crafts and sustainability, Okhai also has a strong commitment to social responsibility. They donate a portion of their profits to support education and healthcare initiatives in rural communities, and they also provide training and support programs for women to help them develop skills and become financially independent.
Okhai values sustainability, traditional crafts, and community support by striving towards creating products that are both eco-friendly and stylish, while also delegating rural artisans, especially women promoting social responsibility.
5. Iro Iro
Again a new age contemporary label, Iro Iro is a sustainable fashion brand based in the city of Jaipur, India. It specializes in upcycling textile waste into unique and stylish clothing pieces. The brand was founded in 2018 by Aman Singh, who was inspired by his passion for sustainable fashion and his desire to reduce the fashion industry’s impact on the environment.
This clothing brand features a wide range of items, including dresses, tops, pants, and jackets. Each item is designed and made by hand in India using discarded fabrics and materials, such as denim, sarees, and curtains. The brand also works with local artisans to incorporate traditional Indian embroidery techniques into their designs.
Their key focus is on upcycling and prioritizes sustainable production practices. For example, they use only natural dyes, such as indigo and madder, which are safer for the environment and healthier for workers than synthetic dyes. They also minimize their waste by reusing scraps and leftover materials in their designs.
Another fundamental characteristic of Iro Iro’s brand is its commitment to transparency and education. They provide detailed information on their website about their materials, production processes, and the artisans they work with, and they also offer workshops and events to educate their customers about sustainable fashion and upcycling.
6. Tjori
Tjori is a sustainable fashion and lifestyle brand based in India that focuses on promoting traditional Indian craftsmanship and eco-friendly materials. The brand was founded in 2013 by Mansi Gupta, who wanted to create a platform for Indian artisans and designers to showcase their work.
The idea of sustainable fashion is now getting widely accepted, with the passing of the global pandemic, the conversation around sustainability still pertains. Tjori not only acknowledges but respond to this shift as a whole. This pandemic and economic crisis both have caused major shifts in consumer behaviour posing uncertainties for shoppers and retailers.
The meaning of fashion is changing slowly as you witness more brands moving towards ethical and sustainable practices as a fundamental way of operating, keeping the environment and people first.
Traditional techniques like block printing, embroidery, and weaving. The brand also partners with non-profit organizations to support traditional crafts and provide training and employment opportunities for artisans.
In addition to their focus on traditional crafts and sustainability, Tjori also prioritizes transparency and ethical production practices. They provide detailed information on their website about their materials, production processes, and the artisans they work with, and they also have a commitment to fair labor practices.
Overall, Tjori is a brand that values sustainability, traditional craftsmanship, and community support. They strive to create products that are both eco-friendly and stylish, while also promoting fair labor practices and supporting local artisans and communities.
Tjori offers a wide range of products, including clothing, accessories, home decor, and personal care items, all of which are made using sustainable and environmentally-friendly materials. For example, they use organic cotton, linen, and silk, as well as recycled materials and natural dyes.
One of Tjori’s core values is promoting traditional Indian craftsmanship. They work with local artisans to create their products and many of their offerings feature
The future of fashion is sustainability. Thus brands need to focus on their value chain system and maintain transparency and communication in their functionality.
Read further on; These 7 sustainable brands in India redefining clothing.
