10 Best Sustainable Fashion Brands in India
India has always been the land of rich textile traditions and sustainable fashion. For decades, the country has served as a hotbed for supplying craftsmanship resources across the globe. Almost all the states of India house numerous craft clusters and are home to some of the best artisans in the world.
Sadly, due to fast fashion, cultural globalization, and capitalism, the traditional artisanship of the country has become exposed to appropriation, and intricate handicrafts are reduced to digital prints in the mass markets, making the artisans struggle for a living. Thankfully, in recent years, India has experienced impressive growth slowly and sustainably brands reviving the old traditions of dying, weaving, and so on.
How to be a sustainable fashion brand?
Fashion brands in India are incorporating a myriad of ways to thrive towards sustainability. From using natural dyes to coming up with blends of recycled fabrics, sustainable fashion brands aim to save the world while bringing you the latest fashion.
Here are a few steps taken by a plethora of brands in India to promote sustainable fashion and make an impact:
- Sustainable brands are not just working towards sustainability but also reducing their carbon footprint in the larger picture. They are working towards bringing an end to exploiting Mother Earth and giving it back this time.
- Some homegrown brands are producing garments in small batches; to reduce waste and to be more mindful of their sustainability practices. They also hire local tailors and weavers to promote their craftsmanship and pay them for their skilled labor.
- Budding fashion brands go for the traditional practice of making their dyes using natural colors and pigments.
- It is very important to reduce waste production. Switching to paper and cardboard packaging, going for recycled packaging material, and repurposing fabric waste are some of the many ways waste production can be controlled.
Apart from these techniques, sustainable fashion brands in India are rapidly educating themselves in new ways of making an environmental impact. The diligence and hard work to deliver new trending fashion while preserving nature are no less than a ray of hope for Indian fashion and artisanship.
Latest Fashion Trends in India
Fashion brands in India and abroad are slowly realizing that the future of Earth lies in saving adequate resources, protecting human rights, and bringing an end to toxic fashion manufacturing. A more circular and sustainable fashion industry is the need of the hour and most of the emerging fashion trends in India also revolve around sustainability.
Here are some latest fashion trends in India that are ruling in the realm of sustainability:
- The fabric is the key step towards sustainable fashion. Going for organic and upcycled fabrics is the latest fashion trend in India. Some of the sustainable options are organic cotton, flax, hemp, and surplus cotton. Sustainable fashion brands are also coming up with recycled fabrics and blends.
- The crux of slow, sustainable fashion lies in the shift from buying low-quality garments which do not last long to shopping for upcycled products like headbands or jeans with patchwork made of waste fabrics. Making multiple uses and outfits out of your wardrobe staples are some of the easiest and most creative steps toward sustainability.
- Thrifting is the new cool! Shopping second-hand is slowly gaining momentum in India. With Instagram thrift stores popping up and online garage sales, people are steadily discarding the false notion of thrifting being a sale of overused, cheap quality items.
Apart from all this, the best fashion brands in India are also cutting down on waste production, incorporating size inclusivity, hiring local artisans, and so on. The latest fashion trends in India are all about seeking clothes that have a story- upcycling, recycling, and thrifting are the primary keywords here.
10 Best Sustainable Fashion Brands in India
From sportswear to ethnic outfits, sustainable fashion brands in India are taking the realm of clothing by storm with their innovation, creativity, and environmental impact. Here are some of the best fashion brands in India that you need to check out right now:
- aastey
Ten years ago, if someone told you that size-inclusive sustainable athleisure wear in India is a possibility, you’d have probably rolled your eyes in disbelief. But thanks to aastey, now this is a reality. To become fully sustainable by 2023, the brand has come up with its fabric- Aastey Flex which is a blend of recycled polyester which directs plastic from landfills. Their collection ranges from top-notch sportswear to fragrant candles and gifting options too. - No Nasties
No Nasties is a vegan, organic, and fair-trade clothing brand with an emphasis on birthing plant-positive clothing that reduces the carbon footprint. They use wind energy, solar power, replanting, and forest protection as a part of moving towards their ambitious goal. No Nasties has also commissioned a life-cycle platform called Green Story which looks after the material composition, fabric consumption, and supply change of all the products the brand creates. This helps in calculating their carbon footprint. At No Nasties, you will find a beautiful collection of organic cotton fabrics made of all-natural and herbal dyes. - The Summer House
The Summer House is a phenomenal brand working towards delivering ancient Indian craftsmanship to modern-day Indian closets. They hire rural artisans to sustain and revive the craft communities vulnerable to exploitative practices.
So far, The Summer House has partnered with over 15 craft clusters all over India for designing never-seen-before handmade garments and textiles with organic and sustainable fabrics. This is one such trending fashion brand that you must check out if you are into sustainability. - The Terra Tribe
The Terra Tribe believes in short production runs to promote slow fashion and lifestyle. Their womenswear is crafted with completely locally made Tencel and some recycled metal trims. Their timeless collection of clothing is a sight to behold.
Drawing inspiration from ‘Terra’, which means Earth in Latin, the brand stays true to its name by displaying an earthy assortment of beautiful colors through its clothing line. They use natural indigo, Indian madder vines, leaves, and iron vinegar for dyeing the clothes. - Dorji
A small homegrown brand from the quaint town of Santiniketan, Dorji is high on sustainable fashion and reducing its carbon footprint. Inspired by nature and its huge palette of shades, Dorji brings you one-of-a-kind pieces in small batches. They use leaves, flowers, and other natural pigments for paints and dyes. Not only that, the waste fabrics from their clothing pieces are further stitched together to form more interesting items for your wardrobes. They extensively work with the local tailors, weavers, and dyers from the rural parts of Santiniketan and all of them work together as a close-knit community. - Doodlage
Doodlage is a budding sustainable fashion brand in India that primarily focuses on converting waste into the latest fashion. They use dead-stock fabrics for creating timeless pieces that will change the way you look at patchwork.
You are in for a treat when you scroll through their collection. The silhouettes look rejuvenating and youthful as their designs blend into each other seamlessly. - Nicobar
Nicobar is an amazing fashion brand that mindfully uses Tencel, cupro modal, organic cotton, and recycled wool for creating timeless pieces of clothing. They partner with small communities all over India for developing the brand’s Merino wool scarves. They also collaborate with fair-trade factories for manufacturing their products.
Ever since it launched, Nicobar has impressively reduced 85% of the plastic that used to go into its packaging and they are always in the quest to incorporate new ways of giving back to the planet. - B Label
Bombay Hemp Company, along with its extension B Label, is changing the perspective on hemp within India. B Label is aiming at educating potential customers about the countless environmental benefits that Hemp fiber has to offer.
Their minimalist range of clothing is heavily made of hemp which is more durable and softer than conventional cotton. Not only that, the fiber has a surprising trait of resisting UV rays, replenishing the soil, and absorbing atmospheric carbon while it is in the growth phase. Hemp plays a huge role in reversing climate change and B Label is trying to promote the usage of fiber for all its goodness. - Oshadi
Oshadi launched itself as a womenswear brand in 2016 and it has now ventured into a ‘seed-to-sew’, vertically-integrated sustainable supply chain. The brand grows its indigo and cotton on farms using restorative practices.
For supporting the brand’s regenerative sustainable fashion mission, Oshadi puts the nutrients back into the soil. The brand not only works hard towards its humble aims and objectives but also offers a breathtaking collection of intricately dyed, organic cotton garments. - 11.11
11.11 is all set to become one of the best fashion brands in India, as far as sustainability is concerned. 11.11’s clothing line promises versatility and longevity with its vast array of responsibly-created items.
The brand is revered for employing artisans from across the country for harnessing heritage methods such as handloom weaving, tie-dye, hand spinning, quilting, and hand painting for making new trending fashion. Their clothes are made of natural dyes and indigenous cotton colors.
With brands like aastey, Doodlage, The Terra Tribe, and so on; it goes without saying that the fashion scene in India is changing for the better. Be it the combination of minimalistic and trendy designs or the use of natural pigments, the sustainable fashion brands here are leaving no stone unturned for making the planet a better place to live in while taking everyone’s fashion game to the next level.