Here’s to a cruelty-free future

With the World Animal Day celebrated yesterday, it’s high time we spoke up against animal cruelty in fashion

We all speak about animal cruelty and how we need to protect animals, but what are we doing about it? From exquisite silk saris, trendy fur jackets to classy leather boots and shiny lip gloss, most of the trending Indian or international brands or labels have, in some way or the other, contributed to animal cruelty. International luxury brands such as Stella McCartney, Versace, Gucci and Michael Kors are among the few who stood up against the use of fur and decided to go fur-free.

Similarly, in India there are a number of brands and designers who have taken the sustainability route to ensure not just the environment, but even animals are not affected in the ecosystem.

So, for this World Animal Day, which fell on October 4, we spoke to industry experts who have taken a conscious effort to go vegan in fashion, speak up against animal cruelty through their work and opted to go sustainable for our furry friends.

LET’S COEXIST

“Being fashionable does not mean we compromise the lives of other living beings. We must learn to co-exist,” says fashion designer Purvi Doshi, who stopped using silk five years ago after realising that to obtain a metre of silk, approximately 3,500 live cocoons of silkworms are thrown into boiling water.

Similarly, fashion designer duo Riddhi and Siddh Mapxencar gave up meat and turned vegetaria n, and so did the brand. “Nine years ago, we turned vegetarians and that is the day we gave up leather too. Though we were fond of designer bags, it was a conscious effort to not decorate our bodies with the skin of animals. We decided to never use leather and fur under our label,” they explain. The cruelty meted out to these mute creatures in the fashion world is shocking. Every year, millions of animals are killed or fashion. “All I want to say is at people ould ealise

at there’s an immeasurable amount of suffering that goes into every fur-trimmed jacket, leather belt and wool sweater,” says fashion designer Maheka Mirpuri.

TESTING TIMES

The very fact that we don’t trust our formulations to be tested on humans and need animals to test the efficiency, is inhumane. Megha Asher from a lifestyle brand is against animal testing and also does not accept any raw material that has been tested on animals. The retail and online space is flooded with products that are tested on animals. Asher says that testing products on animals is considered cheaper than doing it on humans. “You have to pay the subjects for having tests done on them. And it’s also often believed that the tests on animals give better test results as they [testers] can fully control the test environment, whereas human testing can often give mixed results as there is no complete control over the subject,” adds Asher.

FASHIONABLE ALTERNATIVES

Saving animals is as simple as choosing stylish cruelty-free clothing. Many variations of faux fabrics look and feel almost identical to the originals. According to Mirpuri, leather, suede and fur are all simulated to create a realistic, but ethical choice. And yes, with so many fashionable and comfortable options available, there is no excuse for wearing any kind of animal skin. While the winter landscape is synonymous with feathers and furs, Mirpuri’s A/W 18 collection uses it discerningly on necklines and cuffs. However, it is all faux fur and feather. Footwear designer Trishla Surana from a vegan brand educates her customers about the need to use animal free products and move away from leather. “There are a lot of customers who are looking for vegan footwear, and faux leather is a great alternative to pure leather,” says Surana, adding, “We are an eco-friendly and sustainable brand, which uses cork, derived from cork oak tree. A wonder material for our feet, it improves body posture thus reducing knee, ankle and back pain.”

So, can we co-exist together? Yes, it is possible, with stricter laws against animal cruelty and some compassion, to ensure that the world becomes safer for our animal counterparts.

This faux fur halter low back blouson and skirt from Maheka Mirpuri’s Untamed fashion collection is made of polymeric fibers that are processed, dyed, and cut to create faux fur. It is shredded into threads to give it the movement of tassels and is dyed to a light brown to give it the colour of a lion’s mane

PHOTO: ARUN NEVADER/GETTY IMAGES Designer Purvi Doshi switched to handwoven and sustainable fabrics, post her decision to not use silk. This offwhite khadi handembroidered sheath dress with flora and fauna motifs and mirror work was showcased at the New York Fashion Week 2017 as part of her Coexistence collection

Footwear made out of cork is breathable and the latex insole padding provides comfort. It’s shock absorbent and great for those on their feet all day

This anarkali is made from ethical silk, which is also known as peace silk and is processed from cocoons without killing the pupae