Fashion, now, is also linked with awareness and responsibility with focus on using local materials and resources. Rupinder Kaur speaks to fashion designers on the movement of slow fashion seeping in
That one pair of trousers or maybe a t-shirt, which you bought a year or two ago, must be carefully folded and kept in the back of your cupboard. Time to revamp your wardrobe and you will think twice before parting with that garment which is still dear to you. Maybe because of how soft the fabric feels when it brushes against your skin even after it’s been worn and washed multiple times or it may have a sentimental value which you wish to hold on to.
With the change in fashion trends season after season, your wardrobe, too, might change its colours and cuts with addition of some fancy silhouettes, et al. The pressure to be in vogue has also, to some extent, made us less appreciative of our purchase which will, of course, be replaced in a jiffy. Catering to the demand of this ‘fast fashion’ are mass retailers which create garments from the design stage and place it on their store shelves within weeks. There are exciting deals every second week splashed on ad hoardings which one would not want to miss. But what if we slow down a bit and take into account the impact this rush can have on the environmental and social systemsIJ
The Rana Plaza building collapse due to structural failures in Bangladesh in 2013, where over 1,100 garment workers died, brought into light the risks which the labour is exposed to. Around 2,000 workers there were making clothes for major western brands which in turn overlooked the safety and other necessary measures.
A movement to address issues pertaining to ecology, safety and fair treatment for workers, understanding the process behind the origin of a piece of clothing, comes in the form of slow fashion. The term was coined by design activist Kate Fletcher.
While writing for The Ecologist, she mentioned, “We can design a different system for ourselves that makes money while respecting the rights of workers and the environment, and produces beautiful and conscientious garments. Slow fashion is about designing, producing, consuming and living better. Slow fashion is not time-based but quality-based (which has some time components). Slow is not the opposite of fast – there is no dualism – but a different approach in which designers, buyers, retailers and consumers are more aware of the impacts of products on workers, communities and ecosystems.”
For Delhi-based designer Suket Dhir, it is all about “creating an ensemble with a classic styling that can be sustained for years. Just because the garment has been with you for years, doesn’t really mean one needs to dispose it. The fabrics are picked carefully so that it would age gracefully and look good.” It is also time to reconnect with your clothes, he shares. “You have to wear it again and again. Invent new ways of wearing it. like take a jacket and pair it with trousers, jeans or maybe a kurta pajama. But the fabric should also last.”
Dhir tests his designs and fabrics by wearing his creations for a couple of months. “That way I can figure out what works and what doesn’t,” he adds.
He also equates the slow fashion movement with spirituality. “When you turn towards spirituality or maybe yoga, you sub-consciously would adopt a healthier lifestyle and step away from say smoking or eating non-vegetarian food. You don’t realise it, but you do it,” he explains.
He agrees that consumers should be aware of the entire process from designing to production of a garment “without making it lengthy and boring”.
“Sustainability ofkarigars or artisans and their families, who are also involved in the creative process, is another important factor to be kept in mind,” Dhir shares.
Sanya Dhir, creative director of Diva’ni, the country’s first cinema-inspired fashion brand talks about products that are heirlooms as part of slow fashion.
“Globalisation has brought in machines which has fastened all processes of creation. It’s cost-effective and people have shifted towards it. Many try to pass off machine-made zari or zardozi work as traditional handmade work which a craftsperson would create overtime by putting in a lot of blood and sweat. We cannot forget about our roots. People need to be made aware of the rich crafts in order to appreciate it. For this, even bespoke and couture needs to be easily accessible,” she says. Dhir tells us that even the sales team is asked to interact with the karigars about the intricacies of designs or embroideries.
She, too, stresses on creating sustenance for the artisans. “Their art is their earning and they need to step out of their shells but that is difficult. They are faced with multiple issues like getting their daughters married or need resources to address health issues. Often the karigars would not educate their kids fearing that if they are exposed to the outside world, they would shun the vocation and take something else up. When a celebrity wears a creation of our craftsmen, they feel encouraged and also keeps them going. Better livelihood is what we need to provide them with,” she shares with us.
Designer Aneeth Arora feels that people are more aware of the techniques involved in creations. "The clients understand the value of the garments and how they age with time. I’ve been working with the same weavers and they, too, have matured because we work with them season after season, evolving the techniques. In India as well as overseas, since we've been showcasing for a while now, people have started recognising the fabrics like jamdani or ikkat, et al.," she says.