Travel + Leisure - India & South Asia
WEAR YOUR VISION
The fashion industry is notorious for producing large amounts of waste and harming the environment with by-products. Now, some responsible brands are working to change all that.
1. GIRLFRIEND COLLECTIVE This US-based activewear brand creates every item using recycled materials. Their most popular products include compressive leggings and bras—often worn by frequent travellers to prevent vein diseases. These are made from postconsumer plastic water bottles. Their tops and tees are made of cupro, a fibre that’s created using waste from the cotton industry. All of their fabrics are made in a zero-waste, zero-emission facility in Taiwan and then sent to their SA8000certified facility in Hanoi, which guarantees safe working conditions and fair wages. 2. EILEEN FISHER Eileen Fisher debuted her eco-friendly initiative, Green Eileen in 2009, and has a “full lifecycle” approach to clothing—from responsibly sourced and recycled fibers, to eco-friendly dyes and finishes, to ethics during the production process, and finally repairs and waste management at the end of the cycle. Under its Renew programme, the brand buys back, repairs, and resells its own clothing. If the clothes are damaged, they are turned into entirely new designs. eileenfisher.com
3. RALPH LAUREN In 2019, Ralph Lauren unveiled a new strategy, under which it aims to use 100 per cent sustainably sourced materials such as cotton, polyester, and viscose by 2025, eliminate harmful chemicals, and incorporate 170 million recycled plastic bottles in its products and packaging. To this end, it launched Earth Polo, a version of its iconic polo shirt made from recycled plastic bottles and dyed with a zero-water process. ralphlauren.com 4. DOODLAGE This Indian brand strives to reverse the trend of fast fashion. Using fabrics that come from waste at manufacturing units and export houses, their garments are handcrafted in collaboration with fair unit wages or social enterprises. The waste from this process is shredded and converted into textured fabrics that are used in bags and accessories. Any pieces left are used to make paper. doodlage.in 5. 11.11 ELEVEN ELEVEN Their garments are made with 100 per cent khadi and 100 per cent natural dyes from plant sources such as barks, leaves, petals, roots, berries, and wood, ensuring that the dyes retain their true colours over time. Their practices support local communities as well. 11-11.in
6. ÉPOQUE ÉVOLUTION At the core of époque évolution’s origin is the belief that one wardrobe can do it all. Their chic collection is made using only responsibly sourced, upcycled deadstock and post-consumer recycled fibres that don’t need to be dry-cleaned. Their range is perfect for travel due to their versatility, which allows you to keep your bags light, and the fact that they don’t wrinkle easily.