Ethical fashion
Daughter of the rock and roll legend Stella McCartney refuses to use any fur or leather in her designs. Maybe it is eco-awareness or just the need to create fashion with a heart that motivates her, but the truth is that style gurus are taking the road less travelled and are willing to experiment with indigenous fabrics, yes even parachute material, recycling it to create a stir on the catwalk.
Orsola de Castro and Filippo Ricci, founders of the green label From Somewhere, are known for making masterpieces with recycled waste materials. British designer Christopher Raebum has used reclaimed parachutes that he turned into garments that swiftly became a part of his autumn-winter 2010 collection entitled “Protect”. And it seems ethics is the buzzword on the catwalks of Milan and Paris.
Fortunately, our desi designers are not far behind with Deepika Govind launching “Eri: The Peace Silk: A Traveller’s Collection”. These include stunning stoles and scarves, but wait here’s the key, they are made of unique silk, as Deepika believes fashion is all about creating fabrics for the senses. “For me, Eri is the fabric of peace (also known as endi or errandi in India), it is often referred to as an ‘Ahimsa’ silk, since the process does not involve the killing of the silk worm. Eri cocoons are open-ended, allowing the moth to fly to freedom once the spinning is complete. Eri is justifiably known as the most eco-friendly silk and a boon to those who practice absolute non-violence,” she says. In an industry that is dominated by the need to constantly compete, there are some designers who are rooting style through their hearts and in the process coming up with beautiful fabrics that are new-age and durable.
Much like Anita Dongre, who has been helping the farmers through the NGO “Shop for Change”. “I use only organic cotton in my line and this is sourced from farmers who produce it the eco-friendly way keeping their interest in mind,” says Anita. The designer has used fabulous fabrics that include viscose jerseys (from Liva viscose) that fall well on both chic dresses and ornate gowns.
Rina Dhaka, a practicing Buddhist, also believes in saving planet Earth is part of the business of fashion. The style guru likes to use ethically grown organic cotton (100 per cent cotton) that hopes to bring about a change.
“I agree with Anita who says that ‘go green’ is the mantra for survival, we have to have follow Gandhi and what he did, discarded silk and adopted home-spun fabrics that are recycled and can create magic on the ramp,” she adds.
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