Sustainable fashion in India: Challenges and solutions

Nowadays sustainable fashion is a need, not a choice and India being the second largest producer of textiles, globally, is responsible for producing eco-friendly clothes. The youth of India should be responsible for focusing on utilising those sustainable and eco-friendly resources as by adopting a sustainable approach, we can save our environment.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Bhaskar Mitra, Professor and Dean – School of Design (Fashion Design and Technology) at Lovely Professional University in India’s Punjab, shared, “It is observed that youngsters are actually understanding the need for sustainable fashion and becoming more conscious about their buying behavior. However, there is still a lack of awareness among a large part of the population. High-end technologies and techniques are get used to produce sustainable clothes which makes them costlier than the other clothes. Hence, becomes a huge barrier.”

He added, “A large part of youth in India focuses on buying budget-friendly clothes, making it difficult for them to adopt sustainable fashion. Using the right and organic material, adopting the practice of reusing and recycling clothes, buying second-hand clothes and making less frequent purchases are some of the tips that everyone should follow. Sustainable fashion is not only about buying new stuff from eco-considerate and socially responsible producers but also about encouraging and cherishing cloth swaps, being proud of using secondhand things and repairing and reusing the damaged ones. After all, it’s righteous to respect the planet and value what we already have.”

Bringing her expertise to the same, Ankita Dwivedi, Founder of LQ Milano, said, “The sustainability express has finally stopped at the fashion station. Consequently, the apparel industry is going through a transition as brands have begun using environment friendly materials for manufacture. This trend has also made waves in the kids wear market with a view to instill consideration in children towards the environment. However, barriers like cost, logistics, consumer perception etc. must be considered to establish a sustainable kids wear line-up. Sustainable materials like recycled polyester fibers, processed cotton and natural dyes are difficult to source resulting in the increase of production cost, subsequently elevating prices.”

She suggested, “To combat this problem, recycled materials should be used as they are cheap and easy to find. In addition to this, technological innovations are being made every day that have the potential to augment the process of production and reduce wastage. Other than this, consumers need to be made aware of the potential of sustainable kids’ fashion as children who are cognizant of their responsibility towards the planet from an early age become responsible adults. Customers must make a shift from fast fashion and opt for a more viable alternative for themselves for a better future. Follow efficient techniques and practices to create sustainable fashion that is compatible with nature.”