Fast and pernicious

Fast and pernicious

Did you know that fast fashion is as detrimental to the environment as deforestation or pollution? Along with coal and palm oil industries, the clothing industry is having a devastating impact on the natural world. Television presenter Stacey Dooley challenges big clothing brands to change their practices and help save our planet in her show Stacey Dooley Investigates: Fashion’s Dirty Secrets.

 Shivangini Padhiyar, co-founder and creative head of sustainable clothing brand — The Summer House Clothing, has been working towards making a change in the fashion industry in India. “In today’s world, when every fashion whim is just a click away, this show is much needed for the customer to be made aware of the far-reaching impact of the choices they make,” says she. We chat her up about impact of the fashion industry on the environment, and what consumers can do to help curb the damage and be responsible in their purchases. 

Terms such as conscious, sustainable and ethical are loosely used in every industry nowadays. What do these concepts mean in the fashion industry?
At a macro level, these concepts are all assumed to mean minimum carbon footprint in production of the garment. But if you take each individually — conscious fashion focuses on mindfulness in design and production, sustainability is about doing minimum damage to the earth as a garment makes its journey from farm/factory to closet, and ethical fashion is about doing right by the people, especially farmers and production labour,  involved in making of the garment.  

How does The Summer House incorporate the concept of conscious and ethical living in its products?
All along the way. Almost 80 per cent of our fabrics are either certified organic or handwoven and the remaining 20 per cent are deadstock or experiments with new age sustainable fabrics like econyl and tencel.  We work with natural and azo-free dyes. Our dyeing unit has a certified wastewater treatment and recycling set-up. We work closely with around 200 traditional artisans across the country, helping them build a better life for themselves and their family. All our garments are made in our naturally-lit production studio where a team that is respected and paid above industry standards, makes exceptional quality clothing. The quality ensures that the garment lasts much longer, reducing its lifetime carbon footprint. Fabric scraps are sent to two NGOs that train women to make products like pouches and other small items that can be sold and a respectable income can be earned. We are now also working with a company to send the scraps that cannot be used for recycling so that absolutely nothing ends up in a landfill. 

Tell us about the sustainable ways of producing handicraft clothing.
Un-dyed khadi made from locally grown indigenous cotton is in our experience most sustainable when it comes to handicraft clothing. The fact that no energy/electricity is used in most handicraft processes itself is a big plus point. But besides that, the dyes you use, the distance the garment travels and mindfulness with which these are designed (minimum wastage) all contribute to producing sustainable handicraft clothing.

Biggies in the fashion industry are now talking about buying less, recycling and upcycling to make our planet greener. What is your take on this?
It’s the need of the hour. Like the series highlights, sustainable fashion has all the potential to be the norm rather than the exception, and this needs to become a mass movement. When big companies take the lead, production units have to get their ethics and certifications in place. After all, supply follows demand. Even from a moral point of view, it is only fair that those who brought the world to this state help clean it up.

As a consumer, how can one be more conscious about their purchases?
Always ask questions — why is this garment cheap, who didn’t get paid, what shortcut was taken to achieve this price point. This will help customers make better choices. Don’t buy what you don’t need. Buy sustainably made garments, and use what you have in your closet for longer by caring for them and repairing them rather than discarding them at the slightest wear and tear. Donate the clothes you don’t need instead of throwing them away, so they continue to be used. Buy second hand/vintage clothes. 

In India, what do you think are the burning concerns in the fashion industry that need to be addressed urgently?
Wastewater disposal from fashion is one of the most crucial concerns. It is polluting our rivers, the earth and our bodies. Another is human rights. Well-meaning people who would run to the rescue of a kitten will blindly go buy fast fashion clothing that doesn't respect farmers or the labour who make the garments. More often than not, these clothes are made by people (usually women) who are stripped of their right to fair wages and sometimes even human dignity. There is a huge distance between the one who makes it and the one who wears it, so it doesn’t pinch us. But it should. 

What aid would manufacturing units or companies require from the government to encourage them to adopt more sustainable and ethical practices?
While we can discuss what companies can and should do, the fact is nobody has the power to implement change as much as the government. We need policies plus the intention to implement these policies to encourage manufacturers to switch to sustainable manufacturing methods and fine those who don’t toe the line. If we rely on moral awakening alone, it’s going to take a long time to see change.

ST Reader Service
Stacey Dooley Investigates: Fashion's Dirty Secrets premières on February 23 at 9 pm on Sony BBC Earth

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