A Conscious Celebration

Organic clothing is making a sure and steady mark on the entire apparel spectrum. Bindu Gopal Rao chronicles.

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While sustainable fashion may have become the ‘it’ thing to be embraced by designers and fashion enthusiasts, there is no denying that making the world of fashion a kinder place to live in has turned into the need of the hour. Organic clothing, a branch of sustainable fashion, is that which is grown sans pesticides, herbicides or any chemicals, employing the use of natural fertilizers. It is usually certified by an agency; a garment can be called organic only if it constitutes a minimum of 70 per cent certified organic fibres. While organic cotton is the most common of all natural fibres, bamboo, hemp, ramie, and Tencel—among many others—have also caught the attention of the global industry.

THE ADVANTAGE

Today’s times see more and more designers and labels taking to organic fibres and fabrics that, in turn, bring them closer to eco-fashion. Anand Saraf, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Verse, says, “Organic fabrics are grown using methods and materials that have a low impact on the environment.” Chirag Tekchandaney, Co-founder and Director, B Label, avers, “The acceptance of organic fabrics is significantly catching pace in India. We are seeing hemp being used more and more; and there is also a rise in the use of bamboo fibres. Also, higher-quality organic cotton, known as Supima cotton, has gained popularity in recent years. Equally, there has been a rise in the awareness about the impact our clothing choices have on the planet, and how our current ways of consumption are not at all sustainable, now and in the long run.”