Colombo Swim Week aims at making a green splash
Eco friendliness must come from the heart, says founder Ajai Vir Singh
Did you know that the fashion industry is the second most polluting industry in the world? The only other industrial polluter which has a worse impact is oil. It is also believed that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions.
Colombo Swim Week founder Ajai Vir Singh believes that the lack of co-ordination between the different players in the fashion industry is partly to blame for this. “Mostly all the brands are Western world brands. Most of the factories are on the Eastern side of the planet, so it’s very difficult to control the two. Also, the crafts that we use come from the Eastern side. The fashion week which shows these designs is run by an event company in the other part of the world. So it’s very difficult to control,” he explains.
With the next edition of Colombo Swim Week to take place from June 27-July 2, he is looking to make a significant change. He feels that Swim Week can easily overcome this issue and set an example of ethical fashion practices which others can follow. This year’s edition of Colombo Swim Week will work under the theme of ‘Green conscious and earth sensitive’.
“Swim Week - Asia’s first fashion week which is dedicated to swim wear and active wear is here, so we can control this. The designers are here, the factories are here so our eco-system is on one land,” says Ajai.
Although Ajai feels that the fashion industry must tackle this issue by being proactive, he feels that excessive policing and the act of setting stringent standards is ineffective. “What I’m saying is what if we start from the heart? Can we make people green inside” he asks, emphasizing the fact that change which comes from the heart will be more effective and long lasting.
“The 10 Sri Lankan designers have been given three pillars to work around. Either they can show an impact on garments, or they work through a factory which is already energy and water neutral or invest in the environment through biodiversity,” Ajai says, explaining that this year they only have to pick one topic in the hope that in five years they will have all these pillars woven into their practices.
Although the designers were reluctant at first, they are now warming up to the idea of being green, says Ajai. “What you do as designers is easier than what the factories do. Factories have to find a way to negate the water because the dyes have to go out into the land. The factory that we are working with had to clear about an acre of land when they were building. They planted 10 acres to compensate for that.”
Ajai hopes that Colombo Swim Week will be able to set an example of green fashion both within the island and beyond.