Can India ever become Part of the Global Value Chain of Ethical Fashion?

At a Fashion Week that mostly  features natural textiles and cotton in abundance, even at a time when the world is reeling under a global supply crunch of cotton, the mind wonders why India and Indian designers do not make a natural progression towards ethical fashion? Why India does not show the way to sustainable luxury and why we have only a few, courageous young finding their way to the Ethical Fashion Forum held at The Louvre,  Paris every year ?


Specially at a day and age when “sustainable luxury” has made it onto to the agenda of several high-profile events including the International Herald Tribune’s Luxury Conference and Ms Gilhart’s Future Fashion Project which featured sustainable designs from over 30 well-known luxury brands including YSL, Proenza Schouler and Donna Karan. And documentaries like BBC’s Blood Sweat an T- shirt have convinced  72 per cent of British consumers  that ethical production of the clothes they buy is important, up from 59 per cent in 2007 ( A TNS World panel research).

On a recent trip to Italy as part of an Indian Delegation invited to visit factories that make Fashion,I was arrested with this conversation between industry head honchos on how Cotton will be the most rare element to find next summer.Reason being the torrential rains in China, floods in Pakistan and India capping cotton exports that has led global inventories in 2010 to decline to roughly 45 million bales, the lowest since 1996.Cotton prices are above $1 per pound, the first time since 1995. Prices have risen more than 40% since July due to strong demand, tight supplies, and strong buying from speculators. Yet all one sees at WIFW SS’11 are cottons:natural, beautiful and enchanting….stall to stall to stall.

Then why not take that one extra step and declare that Indian designers will endorse cotton that is produced organically? That knits that they buy will not be soiled by a child’s hands working on them. That ,as far as possible silk will take the Ahimsa route and dyes that will be used will not be chemical. Agreed it seems like an expensive indulgence. Given that Ethical fashion still constitutes 0.4% of the global market but surely Rohit Ba,who is such a goodwill Ambassador of Indian design can guide the route by dedicating one line every season to Ethical fashion.Just as the young and committed Samant Chauhan has done, rewinding the looms in Bhagalpur to include some bails of Ahimsa Silk. And the quiet Jai and Pravesh who go to Louvre every year with an organically dyed collection of sarongs. Or even Anita Dongre whose names has found inclusion in many global Ethicla Fashion Forums.

As models create a green wall and FDCI pledges to support ethical practices, lets introspect this season to hopefully try and include Ethical Fashion in this rich abundant forum next time round. Imagine feeling the finesse of Ahimsa Silk, enjoying the beauty of an Indigo dye or wearing a fibre in the comfort that no one has been harmed in its making. Instead a family of  farmers now have their fire burning because of what you wear!

Posted by : Anshu Khanna  at 09:50 AM