What is fast fashion?
According to Oxford, fast fashion is defined as inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends. What it really means is that we essentially get rip-offs of runway pieces at 1/10th of the price. Or even lower sometimes.
A classic example would be the Gucci loafer. Imagine you were in 2016, these Gucci-looking loafers were everywhere. We could find these pairs from practically any retailer. But now, no one wants to wear them.
Why ditch fast fashion?
Being a fast fashion brand means to be quick enough to find out what the mainstream designer or luxury brands are going to release next season and to produce copy cats in time of release. This results in imposing high pressure on the factories which are mostly based in countries like China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam, and many more.
The condition of workers in these factories is not the fairest since they are underpaid. Many factories compete against each other to give the lowest price to be able to thrive in the market.
Secondly, this fast pace in the fashion industry leads to overproduction which ultimately creates lots of dead stock and waste. This means fast fashion is not only unethical but also very harmful to the environment.
If not fast fashion, then what?
What fast fashion does is, makes you feel like you need all these things that they are making because the big designers are making it. Their marketing strategies are such that you feel compelled to buy the latest fashion pieces or else you’ll miss out on them. When the reality is, fashion will always keep coming back. Everything from corsets to boot-leg jeans are back. You are truly not missing out on anything.
So instead of going for fast fashion brands, we can look out to find their sustainable alternatives. These follow a mostly neutral colour scheme that you can wear all year round and these are meant to last longer. Here are 5 indie brands that you can consider the next time you want to shop -
PRICING GUIDE
₹ | Typically under ₹1000
₹₹ | Typically under ₹2500
₹₹₹ | Typically under ₹5000
1. Okhai
Based In: Ahmedabad
Size Range: XS to XXL
Product Range: Apparel, Accessories & Home Decor
Price Range: ₹₹
Okhai is a non-profit that works towards the empowerment of women in rural/semi-urban areas and at the same time recognizes & promotes the dying handicraft of each region. Artisans earn a monthly salary of ₹500 to ₹11,000 depending on the hours they work at home or the centre, their skill level and design difficulty. They ensure that women get to work on their own pace and in their homes while managing their household.
2. Nicobar
Based In: Delhi
Size Range: XS to 3XL
Product Range: Womenswear, Menswear, Travel, Accessories, Hom
Price Range: ₹₹₹
Nicobar focuses on making products that are designed to last, not trend-driven and inspired by nature. Their designs are minimal and you can layer them with other clothing making it super versatile. Their packaging is 85% plastic-free and they are striving to be 100% plastic-free very soon.
3. Diaries of Nomad
Based In: Delhi
Size Range: 4 to 18
Product Range: Womenswear, Jewellery, Accessories, Home, Gifts
Price Range: ₹₹₹
Diaries of Nomad sources 70% of their fabric directly through weavers & the remaining through ethical suppliers. They have also adopted the zero-waste policy as a step towards saving Mother nature. Their artisans are paid premium wages and work in a stress-free environment.
4. Chhapa
Based In: Ahmedabad
Size Range: XS-XL
Product Range: Womenswear, Menswear, Kidswear, Home Decor, Accessories
Price Range: ₹₹
All designs from Chhapa are made on cotton fabrics. Cotton is safer for the skin and it also encourages the traditional handweaving of the fabric. Cotton also reduces the carbon footprint as it is entirely handwoven. They are known for their block printing. The blocks come from reused and recycled wood sourced from local woodworkers and carpenters. The dyes they use are azo-free which does not contain any harmful chemical so it’s very safe to work with for our artisans as well as very environment friendly.
5. Chola The Label
Based In: Mumbai
Size Range: XS-XL
Product Range: Womenswear, Menswear, Kidswear, Home Decor, Accessories
Price Range: ₹₹₹
Chola The Label represents everyday luxury defined by an intense connection with comfort and style. Designing and styling with recycled cottons matched the label’s design sensibilities of using free-cutting methodologies that employ minimal wastage, an approach well complemented by the fabrics made out of post-consumer waste.
What are the other solutions to fast fashion?
There are a lot of other steps you can take to avoid contributing to the problem of fast fashion. Buying sustainable clothing can be more expensive than our usual shopping trips to the mall and not everyone might be able to afford a top worth ₹1500. So here are more things you can do -
1. Donate
Donations are a great way to reduce waste and help the community at the same time. You can start by donating your old clothes to your house help. A lot of NGOs also often need clothes for kids, women or the homeless.
2. Upcycle
Another great way to reuse old clothes is to upcycle them and reuse them. Most Indian moms are great at this. Almost every item of old clothing gets turned into rags for cleaning. But there is a lot more you can do to upcycle your old clothes.
Find my blog about 5 Ways To Upcycle Old Clothes here.
3. (I know this sounds obvious, but) Make Less Trips To The Mall
Every time I go to the mall, I end up buying things I never needed. So I just avoid going unless it is absolutely necessary. It is as easy as that. By shopping less, you are reducing demand and ultimately the supply. You are also saving some money for that iPad you really want.
It may sound difficult to avoid fast fashion and buy only things that are eco-friendly or ethically made since you can’t really look into how everything is made. But the goal is to start with taking small steps in any way you can. With more and more brands being conscious of how they are limiting the use of non-renewable natural resources, I see fast fashion being ethical and eco-friendly too. But till then, we need to take it upon ourselves to try to be as sustainable as possible.
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