Conscious crusaders

Handloom weaves, zero-waste policies, fair-trade practices, artisan welfare and a reduction in carbon footprints—sustainability means different things to these fashion frontrunners.

- Kimi Dangor

ANEETH ARORA, PÉRO

USP: Diligent Indian textiles and handcrafting meet an international aesthetic to make a truly global brand It’s not unusual to encounter linen-cotton from West Bengal, handwoven silk from Bhagalpur (Bihar), mulberry silk from south India, mashru and bandhani from Gujarat and chanderis from Madhya Pradesh in a single collection of Aneeth Arora’s label, péro. Arora, a textile design graduate from the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, lays emphasis on all things handmade, sustainable and syncretic, while adding a touch of whimsy that makes her label an amalgam of old and new. Just a decade old, péro has won the British Council’s Young Entrepreneur Award in Fashion (2011) and, more recently, a Threads of Excellence Award presented by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. Apart from working with pure textiles and chemical-free dyes, Arora is a proponent of upcycling. From repurposing old péro pieces for clients and using waste in trims, tags and bags, the brand adds one recycled piece to every seasonal collection. Above all, for Arora, sustainability means working with handwork processes and providing consistent employment to her craftspeople.

STEFANO FUNARI, I WAS A SARI