Apparel April 2019 Apparel April 2019 issue | Page 62

FEATURE
HOW THE INDIAN APPAREL INDUSTRY
IS COPING WITH CONSCIOUS
CONSUMERISM
While the wave of fast fashion hit India too
furiously fast, the story four years hence has
changed. Fast fashion leaders like H&M are
creating conscious consumerism conversation in
their stores and offering to recycle used H&M or
other clothing, donating some to the needy and
recycling some others.
What is causing fast fashion giants to put
out this communication? Indian consumers,
especially in the middle to higher income groups,
are veering towards the global trend of conscious
consumerism and this has taken an interesting
turn in the Indian market.
Due to the value consciousness of the Indian
market, spending less comes easy for Indians.
To add to that, there is a very concerted effort
by the Government and the textile industry to
communicate the Made in India values—going
by the conversations of promoting khadi or by
supporting local artists, craftsmen and weavers.
Quoting the Chairman of Jyoti Apparels and
APEC, Shri H K L Magu, “Circularity, sustainability
and traceability are fast becoming the guiding
principles of innovating and manufacturing
clothing. It is not necessarily about what you
make; a lot of times it is about how you make
that now matters. Brands and in turn,
manufacturers, cannot afford to ignore this and
must work to provide convenient solutions within
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These parameters are visible in the manner
sustainable clothing brands market themselves—
whether it is Okhai which is very vocal about the
artisans it supports or the Summer House which
talks about the natural dyes it uses in its clothing
or Nicobar by Good Earth which talks about the
sustainable cotton in its clothing.
The global dialogue on sustainability has added
to this conscious change in the way the world
now looks at fashion. This has trickled right into
India. The UN announced the launch of the UN
Alliance for Sustainable Fashion in Nairobi in early
March 2019. The UN Alliance for Sustainable
Fashion is seeking to halt the environmentally
and socially destructive practices of fashion.
The alliance quotes that the fashion industry is
the second biggest consumer of water and is
responsible for 8-10 per cent of global
carbon emissions—more than all international
flights and maritime shipping combined
(Source: Unenvironment.org).
In addition, the implications of sustainable
fashion are not confined to the environment,
but also social impacts—creating jobs and
opportunities for rural workers and artisans when
greening the value chain. “In the face of growing
environmental threats, there is an urgent need to
radically change our consumption and production
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fashion industry has a critical role to play,” said
Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson of the Global
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China (73 per cent), and Germany (70 per cent).
This percentage and awareness will be increased
day by day to make a sustainable, greener world
for the fashion lovers.