ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY MARRIES FASHION AESTHETIC

Sustainability as a concept focuses on three major factors— social, environmental and economic. Hand-spun, hand-woven fabrics from India hold great potential for ensuring ecological integrity and social wellbeing, while offering unique aesthetic value.

- Garima Bhalla

The consumer shift of ‘Fashion Choice’ towards products that ensure ecological integrity and social wellbeing is evident. In this introspection of consumer shift, it is imperative to use sustainable materials that endorse the right choices. Industries as a whole are just preparing for the challenge of reducing the usage of harmful materials but are not very sure what will work! The recent article by Common Objective (CO) precisely mentions the choice of the international consumers going towards the products which limit climate change, especially after COVID-19. Comfortable clothes that look great and follow a responsible approach in their creation are expected to be high in demand.

Desi cotton is more sustainable, resistant to drought and pests, requires limited resources of water mostly rain-fed. Desi cotton types are indigenous to Asia and Africa and it has a short staple length of less than 32mm. Kala cotton is amongst one of 20 strains of Desi cotton that were once cultivated widely in India.

Sustainability as a concept focuses on three major factors - social, environmental, and economic sustainability. The garment industry is one of the biggest pollutants and damages the environment starting from the production of the fiber to the garment. On this background, the handspun hand-woven fabrics from India hold great potential for ensuring ecological integrity and social wellbeing. In the surge of power looms and mechanized processing with the use of huge quantity chemicals, industries are finding it difficult to go for better sustainable solutions. Indigenous handspun hand-woven fabrics are available in cotton, wool, and silk and provide exquisite weave options and natural colorations. The best advantages of such category are -

• The manufacturing process does not generate any toxic waste.