The name of the game is eco-fashion. Your wedding lehenga now can be the talk of the town for all the “right” — read ethical — reasons. You can even be bold and get your bridal clothes made in fashionably natural fibres like bamboo or raw banana.
Or if you’re scouting for daily wear, how about a trendy shirt hand-woven from yarn made from casein, a milk-derived protein? Alternatively, create a sensation in a nine-yard sari made from raw banana fibre.
Filling your wardrobe with fashionable outfits made from sustainable fabrics will earn you brownie points for cutting your carbon footprint — and you’ll look good at the same time. These exotic outfits made from natural fibres and food crops are being blended with cotton or silk to create ready-to-wear clothes that are becoming hot favourites.
Take a look at Bhu:Sattva, an Ahmedabad-based fashion house that offers a wide range of clothing made from natural fibres like bamboo, soy and banana. From heavily embroidered hand-woven lehengas to elegant evening gowns and smart self-embroidered men’s sherwanis to jackets, fast-growing Bhu:Sattva has something for everyone. “For bridal lehengas, we use bamboo, soy and banana fibres since they are thick and blend it with silk for a bright sheen,” says Bhu:Sattva’s founder Jainam Kumarpal.
Or look at Ananafit, a weavers cooperative in Anakaputhur on Chennai’s outskirts which weaves attractive saris from vazhai naaru or banana fibre. The company’s booming — and racing against time to complete a string of bulk orders.
Bulk orders are particularly tough because making the saris is labour-intensive. “It takes four artisans to complete one sari in four-to-five days," says C. Sekar, president of the Anakaputhur Jute Weavers Association. These saris are mixed with cotton or silk and priced at Rs 5,000.
Bombay Hemp Company (BOHECO), on the other hand, is on a different kind of high and uses industrial hemp, a special kind of cannabis grown legally and rated a super-crop because of its various uses.
“Hemp’s an extremely versatile fabric,” says Chirag Tekchandani, one of the company’s co-founders.“It’s UV-resistant, very durable and hypo-allergenic. Bacteria normally attracted by clothing are technically repelled by hemp attire.”
BOHECO has its own in-house label, The Hemp Couture, under which it sells stylish T-shirts for men. It also markets crisp white shirts made from pure hemp priced at Rs 2,487 for both men and women and sold online. The company also offers shirts in hemp linen, a specific type of hemp fabric using linen weave. “It’s our fastest-selling fabric and its beauty is it has got a linen look and a cotton feel,” says Yash Kotak, one of BOHECO’s seven co-founders.
BOHECO came into being in 2013 after another co-founder, Jahan Peston, visited Australia and saw how non-drug hemp was being used in products like clothes.
Natural fibre can be used to make all kinds of outfits. So, if you’re a fitness junkie, you might want to pick up a pair of Yoga pants made from pure bamboo fibre by a company called Do U Speak Green? The company’s known for its organic Yoga-wear and offers capris and tank tops for women priced between Rs 799 and Rs 1,299. For men, there are organic T-shirts and pants selling from Rs 895 to Rs 995.
“Bamboo fabric is a natural textile made from the pulp of the bamboo grass,” says brand manager Ulrich Viegas. “It has many unique properties and is more sustainable than most textile fibres. As a fabric, it absorbs moisture quickly and also has anti-bacterial properties keeping it odour-free.” He adds:“When it comes to washing, it has minimal shrinkage compared to cotton.”
Do U Speak Green? sells on several big shopping portals like Flipkart and Jabong and is also available at stores across Goa, Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh. “We’re growing by 15 per cent annually and manufacture 200 Yoga-wear pieces per month and ship to countries like Denmark, Germany, Australia and Canada,” says Viegas.
There’s something for new-borns too. "We do baby-suits, rompers and blankets that are in huge demand and retail through our sister concern Green Leaf Organics," says R. Arivoli of Organic Clothes India, based in Tamil Nadu.
These companies are also offering bespoke services. “All you have to do is go through our ‘look-book’,” says Kumarpal whose ready-to-wear outfits can be spotted at Sasya and Simmaya, two Calcutta stores. “Our team of designers will help you customise your outfit. We use bamboo, soy and banana fibres for creating lehengas since they’re thick and wear well on the body. For bridal or heavy lehengas, we use silk and cotton blends for that bright sheen.” He adds: “We use milk fibre for our prêt collection as the texture’s soft and comfortable”. Prices range from Rs 3,000 to Rs 3.5 lakh, depending on the outfit.
BOHECO also has its own tailors to customise outfits. “You can get a different style or collar and we’re planning coloured shirts and hemp canvas shoes for men and women,” says Kotak.
Some companies are even experimenting with unusual fibres like aloe vera. The problem with aloe vera is it’s tough to handle and takes months before it can be turned into clothing. But it’s got many pluses. “Aloe vera fibre is naturally anti-bacterial and combats body odour,” says Aishwarya Suresh, owner of Bangalore-based Banna Creations, who sells through her website.
So have we convinced you it’s time to go green — and as the eco-fashionistas say — save the world one sale at a time?
Photo courtesy : Shivangi Lahoty
