Ethical fashion brands and their existence:

Ethical fashion brands are the future and the safest way to keep trends alive and fresh. India has been a central place of fashion production for many years, with its numerous craft clusters rooted in all the states and employing more than 45 million people in garment manufacturing. In this respect, ethical fashion brands have appeared as vanguardists to dress consciously and have better sustainability.

In contrast to these events, several enthusiastic designers have begun establishing sustainable fashion ventures that aim at reinvigorating handicrafts, handloom textiles, and ancient techniques in India.

This article explores the sustainable fashion brand landscape in India by highlighting eight pioneering clothing brands transforming the industry through their dedication to ethical production, and eco-friendly clothing using natural materials.

What is sustainable fashion?

Ethical fashion was a response to major concerns in the fashion industry, mainly about labour practices and environmental consequences. Unlike fast fashion, which emphasises cheap production and quick turnover, organic fashion brands place their priorities on social responsibility and sustainability.

By 2023, consumer behaviour had shifted towards sustainable products, ethical fashion labels, and eco-friendly goods, as well as billions of online searches. This was in line with a difficult year for fast fashion after there was a decline in new product introductions during Q3 by one percent compared to the previous year.

Nevertheless, clear communication from brands is necessary for ethical fashion not to slow down.

The absence of transparent information about production approaches and ethical standards may result in greenwashing or misinterpreting what a brand stands for. Certifications, detailed reports, and open conversations with consumers are important in removing confusion while building trustworthiness among ethical fashion brands.

Why is sustainable fashion necessary?

There are several reasons for the necessity of sustainable fashion, primarily its potential to attenuate the negative effects caused by the fashion industry on both people and the planet:

1. Protecting Resources Through Sustainable Clothing Brands

A 2015 study found that 97% of what goes into making clothes is virgin, while just 3% is recycled content. This amounts to an annual resource consumption of 98 million tonnes, including crude oil used in synthetic fibre production, fertilisers for growing cotton, and an endless list of chemicals required for colouring and finishing textiles.

Consequently, sustainable clothing brands have established themselves as a more environmentally friendly option that reduces the need for virgin inputs as well as addresses ongoing waste disposal concerns.

For instance, each time we use 10,000 metric tonnes of green materials in our swimwear, there are 70,000 barrels of oil and 57,100 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide not produced compared to making nylon from scratch. So consider ethical fashion brands next time you go shopping.

2. Sustainable fashion lessens the carbon footprint.

The global clothing industry releases huge quantities of greenhouse gases every year, which significantly contribute to global warming. One reason is that almost all our best-loved clothes are derived from petroleum-like materials originating from fossil fuels, such as polyester and acrylic nylon.

On the contrary, ethical fashion brands often use either recycled or natural fabrics that require minimal or no chemical processing, water, or energy, as well as fertilisers or pesticides during their cultivation.

Most organic fabrics, specifically linen, hemp, organic cotton, and TENCELTM, are biodegradable; hence, they represent good long-term options for eco-friendly clothing brands.

3. Water use in making sustainable clothing is less.

In the clothing industry, water is an essential resource. It is mostly used to dye and finish our clothes. For instance, a single t-shirt requires 2,700 litres of water. However, cotton relies heavily on water, although it often thrives in arid regions where water scarcity is common.

Organic cotton uses 91 percent less water than conventional cotton. So far, globally, organic cotton represents just one percent of all cotton grown for commercial purposes.

This is largely attributed to the fact that non-GMO seeds are priced much higher and they usually require additional expenditures on materials and equipment different from those used by farmers farming their organic crops.

Linen, hemp, REFIBRATM, and recycled fibres like cotton are among the sustainable materials that consume a small amount of water when being made. In the industry, ethical fashion brands are increasingly using these materials.

Consequently, a more equitable fashion system needs to be developed to create a fairer environment and fashion business that has concerns about both human beings and nature in general.

8 Best Ethical Fashion Brands You Can Choose From

There are times when the fashion industry prioritises profit over people and the environment. However, ethical fashion brands stand out in a world where they exist. They offer trendy outfits that are sustainable, made from high-quality materials, and have transparent brands.

Curated here is a list of ethical fashion brands that lead the charge towards transforming the sector.

1. Girlfriend Collective

For activewear, bras, undergarments, and some clothing, we recommend Girlfriend Collective.

The firm uses only sustainable packaging, while all its clothes are made from creemergeith eco-friendly materials such as fabrics made out of recycled bottles of water and fishing nets extracted from cotton waste.

2. Paka

Paka is one of the most popular ethical fashion brands recently to emerge, and it’s easy to see why. It used alpaca wool for its garments, which, in addition to being extremely delicate, also come with inherent antibacterial properties, thermo-regulation characteristics, lightness, and environmental friendliness.

Several certification programmes that give back to the Peruvian community are one of the brand’s trademarks. The system is inspired by its founder, and compostable packaging, amongst others, forms part of some of Paka’s many sustainability checks you need to look for in a brand.

3. No Nasties For Ethical Clothing

Organic, vegan, and sustainable No Nasties as the name suggests, is a company that aims to produce clothing that is environmentally friendly and reduces the carbon footprint of each garment they make as planet-positive garments. They do this by investing in offset projects like solar energy, wind power, forest conservation, and reforestation.

For every product the company manufactures, Green Story is an external life-cycle analysis tool that also takes into account the supply chain, material composition, and fabric use. EsurinEnsuringNo Nasties is one of the best ethical fashion brands in the industry.

These include a range of breathable organic cotton everyday essentials for men and women dyed with natural ingredients obtained from herbs.

4. Doodlage

Doodlage is an interesting sustainable fashion brand because they take waste pieces from various textile manufacturers across India and create something new and meaningful out of them.

Doodlage is changing the way consumers view organic fashion brands in India.

5. The Terra Tribe

The Terra Tribe’s focus is on making locally made Tencel-based timeless tailored women’s wear entirely and featuring recycled metal trims only in small production runs.

Inspired by the Latin term for earth, The Terra Tribe has a palette of earthy colours adorning its dresses. These clothes were dyed with Indian madder plants, leafy indigo vinegar iron leaves, natural colour, etc.

6. Grassroot By Anita Dongre

Grassroot line was introduced by renowned Indian designer Anita Dongre, who deals with holistically produced clothes that are ecologically sustainable and help to keep the traditional skills of fabric making alive in a country where women artists from communities are heritage custodians for such ancient Indian arts.

From the collection, you will find sari, kurta sets, and some gowns other than these which look so beautiful. These attires usually have intricate thread work that is elaborated using handicraft or dyed in natural colours; hence, it would be like going back centuries, when this country was still traditional.

7. Brown Boy

Besides girls, boys must also not be left out, so we have a sustainable brand that is eco-friendly as well as organic and fair trade. Prateek Kayan, the founder and CEO of Brown Boy, walked away from his Wall Street job to create his startup back in India. The brand has a good sense of its products, including unique t-shirts, vests, hoodies; and even yoga pants.

8. Eco Tasar

This company manufactures natural fibre textiles mainly from Tasar Silk and Eri silk, focusing on sustainability as part of their social enterprise activities. Artisans typically use locally sourced hand-spun yarns and conventional handloom weaving techniques during production.

For one thing, as one of the ethical fashion brands, all their products are 100% sustainable,  therefore making them possess low carbon footprints since much of the work is done by trained artisans through manual methods. Their decision to prioritise handcrafting illustrates how committed they are to minimising environmental impacts associated with the production process.

For starters, because they are one of the most ethical fashion brands, all of their products are 100% sustainable, which results in low carbon footprints because trained artisans perform the majority of the work manually.  These products reflect our values and help us become more conscious of our dress choices.

These designers of ethical wear not only produce nice products but also take into account the well-being of this planet. Hence, their focus on sustainability and eco-friendly operations acts as a model for other fashion companies.

In addition, backing these labels and educating people about the benefits of environmentally friendly clothes will drive creativity and bring about positive transformation in the fashion sector.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is ethical opinion?

Ethical fashion is a movement within the fashion industry that prioritises social responsibility and sustainability. It encompasses fair labour practices, environmental conservation, and transparency throughout the supply chain.prioritises

2. Which brands are the most ethical?

Brands like Girlfriend Collective, Paka, No Nasties, Doodlage, and Grassroot By Anita Dongre are leading examples of ethical fashion brands in India. They prioritise sustainability, fair labour practices, and transparency, revolutionising the industry with their commitment to social and environmental responsibility.

3. Are luxury brands sustainable?

Some luxury brands are making strides towards sustainability, integrating eco-friendly practices and materials into their collections. However, the luxury fashion sector as a whole still faces challenges in achieving sustainability due to its reliance on high-end materials and production processes.