ECO- ING COUTURE
From international runways to Indian street markets, eco- friendly garments and accessories are making haute waves
Summer calls for cool solutions and there’s nothing cooler than flaunting eco- friendliness when everyone else is draped in artificial threads. As the mercury shoots up, almost everyone looks for natural breathers to keep cool and comfortable. As the eco- friendly fashion market continues to grow rapidly in India and abroad, several design gurus and labels are taking the industry by storm. From Stella McCartney’s commitment to totally green fashion, Clare Vivier’s environmentfriendly accessories to Rahul Mishra’s rendition of the concept and Aneeth Arora’s love for vegan fashion, ecofriendly apparel has been getting a global thumbs up. Urvashi Kaur, who was one of the first few designers to have created an organic clothing line in India puts forth, “It has been a challenge ever since I have been trying to work with eco- friendly practices. It encompasses everything from being aware of the quality of the fabric and its origin to how it is grown organically and how from the weaver to the person running the loom and retailer — everybody is getting their fair share unlike other fashion practices where the whole- sellers rake in the moolah. I am really glad that the Indian fashion space is opening up once again and embracing sustainable fashion.” In an age where everything is mass- produced, she asks, “Where is the beauty of human hands? We are using technology to reach the masses. I am saddened by the condition of the craft of weaving in our country today.”
Eco- friendly fashion is transseasonal, traditional yet contemporary and timeless. URVASHI KAUR DESIGNER
She goes on, “Eco- friendly fashion has what a saree has — it is traditional yet contemporary, trans- seasonal and timeless. Techniques used to create ecofriendly clothing involve the usage of pure fabrics that are mostly hand- stitched. I also believe in upcycling, where you give a new lease of life to the leftover fabric by recreating it or by attaching it on to another piece of fresh garment, so nothing goes waste.”
Designer Amy Billimoria, who also specialises in eco- friendly clothing, gives some styling tips, saying, “There are so many inno- vations in eco- friendly apparel — this year also a wide range of clothing has come out for people who want to dress up in natural fibres and stand out stylishly. There are jumpsuits in linen and cotton that can be paired easily with a jacket or shrug to look cool. Layering handwoven dresses or kurtas with jackets is also catching up among youngsters this summer.”
Urvashi agrees and adds, “You can walk down in a khadi kurta and yet look stylish or a gorgeous linen saree is equally good, for which you do not need a sexy figure. Eco- friendly clothes look regal and make you proud of being Indian too.”
The street markets of the capital are already full of colourful options like loose dhoti pants, oversized crop tops in cotton and linen, jute bags and long crinkled cotton skirts. Renuka Mehra, a DU student, mentions, “A perfect summer wardrobe is incomplete without natural fabric clothing. This year there are many options in cotton, linen and silk segments that won’t burn a hole in your pocket. We usually pick up plain white cotton oversized shirts, khaki shorts and linen trousers. There are also colourful long skirts and cotton kurtis that can be paired together with dupattas and mojris to look
cool.”
A summer wardrobe is incomplete without natural fabric clothing. RENUKA MEHRA,
DU STUDENT