Conscious And Ethical 6 Clothing Brands To Shop From In India

Manufacturing, energy, transportation, and even food production may come to mind as industries that have a negative impact on the environment. However, the fashion business is commonly regarded as the world's second most polluting industry.&nbspEvery year, a mountain of clothing is discarded as a result of fast fashion, and this has a tremendous environmental impact. According to the UN, some 93 billion cubic metres of water (that's enough to meet the needs of five million people) is used by the fashion industry annually, and around half a million tons of microfibre, which is the equivalent of 3 million barrels of oil, is now being dumped into the ocean every year. Some labels are showing how fashion can be sustainable. These indie brands celebrate ethically and sustainably made clothing.&nbspHere are some of our favourites.JohargramThis ethical and sustainable streetwear brand based out of Ranchi makes unique bomber jackets, pants, tunics, bandanas, and more. They&nbspwork with the Mehars, a traditional community of weavers who live in Simdega district of Jharkhand. Johargram aims to&nbsppopularise the traditional textiles of the state using handwoven textiles and traditional patterns and colours like deep red (which stands for sacrifice) and white (which stands for peace). The brand name is the combination of the word johar (namaste) and gram (village). Find them here.LataSitaGiving life to old clothes is what ethical designer Meghna Nayak specialises in. A trained journalist, she gave up her 9-5 job to start LataSita, a zero-waste, closed-loop supply chain, where she upcycles old clothes into bespoke fashion wear. "As not just a lover of textiles and clothing, but also a sustainable designer, I often find myself at odds with the concept of shopping," she says. "For the past decade, I have immersed myself in creating clothing from old, discarded, leftover, or &lsquowaste&rsquo fabric, mostly old sarees that have been lying untouched in wardrobes for decades." LataSita supports the circular economy by using everything old and off-grid. They source fabric from different and often unexpected sources, ranging from treasured private ancestral collections to daily women's wardrobes and even a Durga Puja pandal. Most of their collection is made from vintage sarees, with each piece meticulously crafted at LataSita's Kolkata studio.&nbspRead the Outlook Traveller interview with Meghna about her city here. You can find the brand here.Looms of LadakhThis ethical, herder-artisan-led luxury Ladakh brand upskills local artisans and provides sustainable solutions to preserve cultural legacies while producing gorgeous products. They are a women&rsquos cooperative working across nine villages in the mountains of the Changthang plateau reviving traditional wool crafts of the region.&nbspThey make a wide range of shawls, jackets. scarves, sweaters, and more. These are perfect if you are looking for high quality winter wear for your next trip to the mountains. Also, you will be doing the planet a favour as these are excellent alternatives to the readymade mass produced products (like fleece jackets, caps, etc) which produce micro-fibres with every wash, and the pollutants end up in the oceans and soil. You can find them here.KhamirKhamir showcases the crafts, heritage and cultural ecology of the Kutch region. Founded after the 2001 earthquake, they are renowned for their innovations that fuse ancient Kachchhi crafts with different textile technologies and unconventional raw materials. One such example is reflected in their use locally sourced camel wool sourced from Unt Maldharis, or camel herders, to make textiles, carpets and ropes. Khamir is also known for their range of clothing made from kala cotton, one of the few genetically pure cotton species remaining in India, and one of the only species of pure, old world cottons to be cultivated today.&nbspAlso check out their Kutch Weave Craft range of clothing. Made by the local Vankar community, it is distinctive as it employs a nearly 600-year-old tradition of extra-weft weaving and the manual insertion of decorative supplementary wefts that resembles embroidery.More info here.Runway NagalandThis Dimapur-based brand run by an all-female team of artisans is well-known for Goulu tribal jewellery, Chakhesang Naga shawls, and natural handloom furnishings. They prioritise local skills preservation and responsible practices. The label sells sustainable Eri silk garments, natural fibre home decor, clean beauty choices, and reusable candles.Find them here.Kala RakshaThis Kutch crafts collective makes exquisite hand-embroidered and patchwork products using only natural fibres and wherever possible natural dyes. The product range includes&nbspexquisite garments and accessories. You can pick up&nbspsalwar-kameez sets (tunic and pant suits), shawls and scarves, patchwork quilts, toys, purses, and gifts. They are particularly known for a range of stunning embroidered jackets. Kala Raksha sources all raw materials from other artisan groups, and the handloom fabric is dyed locally with natural dyes brewed from roots, flowers, leaves and fruits and hand embroidered by women artisans. The embroidery and patchwork motifs draw on the rich traditions of the artisans' indigenous styles. Many of their designs are passed down generations. Some designs are revivals based on their permanent collection, and others are contemporary innovations.More info here.RELATED Travel Conscience How Sustainable Practices Are Guiding TravellersALSO READ 5 Sustainable Summer Holiday Ideas For The Family