Opt for fashion with compassion
We all love checking out cute videos of dogs and cats and also share or like them on social media. But how many times have you bothered to check if your clothes or favourite makeup brand is cruelty free? Be it fur, leather or testing products on animals, we, as human beings, need to be considerate towards other living beings. Compassion comes from within, and its time to speak up for the voiceless. With World Animal Day (October 4) just gone by, ask yourself do you really need to wear something that belonged to a furry friend or do you need to look beautiful with products which were tested on animals? The idea is to coexist and make crueltyfree fashion statements.
“Every living being needs to understand that the planet does not belong to any particular being. One can look equally fashionable and glamorous without using the fabrics which involves killing animals. We should understand that being fashionable does not mean one should compromise the lives of other living beings, one must learn to coexist,” says fashion designer Purvi Doshi.
Doshi stopped using silk after she saw a video on how silk is procured. “Compassion for all living beings on earth has been a part of my life since the beginning. We have grown up with the principles of nonviolence and not harming any other living being. When I saw the video on how silk is made, I spoke to my staff and decided we won’t use the fabric any more. The choice made a huge difference to me,” adds Doshi.
Similarly, fashion designer Shruti Sancheti refrains from using silk as well. “Fashion can be very cruel to animals, especially the production of silk when the silkworm cocoons are killed in warm water to get the luxurious fabric,” adds Sancheti.
According to Sancheti, faux fur, synthetic leather and ahimsa silk are some of the alternatives that one can opt for.
There is always a way to help the voiceless. For instance, fashion houses such as Khanijo and Maku have done their bit by creating awareness about endangered species.
For instance, Gaurav Khanijo got some of the endangered animals embroidered as motifs on his garments. Similarly, Maku’s collection, Be There, creates awareness to preserve the nearly extinct wild creatures on land and in the sea. Each garment was named after critically-endangered species such as Po’ouli, Pangolin, Dhole, Dugong, Baiji and Sika deer.
It’s time to ask the makers, where their clothes come from because no trend is worth more than a living soul.
Fashion can be very cruel to animals, especially in the production of silk when the silkworm cocoons are killed in warm water to get the luxurious fabric.
SHRUTI SANCHETI FASHION DESIGNER