The new wave of experiencing ‘sustainable fashion’: Indranath Sengupta, CEO & Founder, Kompanero

EE News Desk Jan 17, 2020

Think about the last time you donned your high-end handbag to an occasion or the last time wore that heavily embroidered piece of ghaghra choli. You have not paid any attention to that lush handbag or that hefty dress ever since your aunt’s wedding three years ago, and these have been gathering dust in one of your innermost shelves. Likewise, there are so many clothes, footwear, and accessories that you may find within the confines of your wardrobe that never got to see the light of the day or have been lying ignored for years in a row. Some of these apparels may have lost their luster and charm, rendering them useless anyway. After all, this is the way people have consumed fashion for years now and it has become a norm. However, this needs to change.

The conversation of sustainability has been doing the rounds since quite some time now. We have all read about it in our little EVS books, and we have participated in or witnessed several MUNs along those lines. Applying this concept in fashion is a relatively new phenomenon, but the possibilities are limitless! Considering how there has been a rise in consumer awareness, majorly driven by millennials and Gen Zs, the fashion industry is gradually moving towards a more sustainable perspective and approach. As the world experiences this new wave on the rise, the meaning of ‘sustainable fashion’ is seeing constant upgrades, from both brands as well as customers’ purview. Here is how:

Treading towards conscious capitalism

While many forms of sustainable fashion are being advocated for and debated about, the essence is to make both production and consumption environmentally, socially, and ethically conscious. When this term is brought into mainstream dialogue, a lot of people may boast about having purchased clothes, footwear, and accessories from where the term ‘sustainable’ was imprinted on the hang-tag. However, this is just one aspect of the entire picture—true sustainability in fashion would come only when the entire supply chain process follows the principle.

For instance, if we consider a leather handbag being made, a conscious consumer may wonder: what does it constitute and how long will it take to decompose? What materials were used in the manufacturing process? Was it an output of ‘fast fashion’ or is it genuinely durable? Was the supply chain sustained and did it minimize the amount of wastage? Were the workers working under ethical conditions? There are simply so many factors to take into consideration, and brands need to design, develop, and manufacture their products into that premise to truly become a participant in sustainable fashion.

Essentially, brands need to create products in the most considerate way for both the environment and humanity. When a significant number of brands take this plunge and get onboard the sustainable journey, the entire fashion ecosystem will gradually find numerous ways to work without leaving a negative footprint. However, while ‘sustainable fashion’ is finding its way into brand ideologies and business models, does the possibility for a negative impact exist only on the brands’ end?

Consciousness reaches the closets, too

The way we dress from our head to toe forms an integral part of our identity, whether one likes it or not. We have all succumbed to the cruel ‘fast fashion’ at one point of time, buying new mass-produced clothes and footwear that may have had no regards for the environment and even exploited workers in dark factories. However, with millennials and Gen Zs coming to the fore, there has been an increased awakening among consumers as to where they acquire fashion apparels from and how they use them.

Consumers are now actively engaged in brand stories, researching about how brands produce their offerings. They want to know whether these brands are environmentally sustainable and ethically conscious throughout their processes before zeroing in on the purchase. In fact, some consumers are now swaying away from buying new in its entirety, and are experimenting with alternatives like second-hand, rentals, upcycled, redesign, and swap etc. to have what is commonly referred to as a ‘rotating wardrobes’. Regardless of whether they go brand-conscious or prefer rotating their wardrobes, consumers are steadily riding atop the ‘green and clean’, ‘unease’ and ‘sustainable’ journey, making it a key deciding factor for their fashion consumption.

Fashion is one of the most globalized industries, and unfortunately the second-most polluting industry after oil, too. There lies a severe need for sustainability to be brought into this ecosystem, and both brands and customers are actively partaking in the same in recent times. So rent out your beautiful ghagra choli, buy fashion accessories made of natural materials and in a considerate way, keep a minimal closet, and revamp your entire approach—after all, sustainable fashion is in fashion!