India is a land rich with craft and art, especially when it comes to our textiles. From khadi to handloom, we have a wide variety of handmade crafts and textiles. These can add a touch of elegance to many an outfit, whether Indian or Western. Hence, our government too is pushing the works of women artisans, and people are finally walking up to the magic of Indian textiles and Indian artisans.
Today, we, determined to help you stay atop your slow fashion game, decided to share some sustainable brands that support Indian craftspeople, textiles, and local production, with a reminder that the most sustainable brand is your closet.
- Tamarind Chutney
A brand that has made a name for itself in the eco-friendly circles with both traditional and modern pieces, Tamarind Chutney uses ethical practices and fair trade principles to make textiles inspired by Indian traditional art. They support artisans and proudly display who made the traditional prints, like ajrak, that they are selling. To limit waste, even surplus raw material is used to make new items.With every purchase, you get a card that tells you about the artisans involved in the process. Sure, they use silk in some of their pieces, which can have a high environmental and ethical cost, but the brand also does customisation and helps you upcycle clothing from your closet, giving you the option to make vegan and low-waste purchases.
2, Irisha Originals
This is a jewellery brand that works with artisans to make eco-friendly, hypoallergenic brass and silver pieces that will stun you. Based in Pune, their socials show a wide range of products, constantly innovating the jewellery space.
3. SUTA Sarees
While not a fully vegan brand and one that has come under fire by some creators who claim SUTA copied their designs, this brand often works with artisans in West Bengal to make their eye-catching sarees and traditional pieces. Creators have applauded their innovative fabrics and chic designs, crediting them with making sarees mainstream again. While some argue that the prices are slightly high, others look at the fabrics, the sustainability promises, and feel the same is justified, even if in Kolkata, one has the option to buy directly from artisans themselves. While they don’t use a formal fair trade certification, they claim to follow ethical working conditions.
-Okhai
Women empowerment is the heart of sustainable development in India, and Okhai works with female artisans from rural areas to give them off-farm income and a chance to practise crafts they’ve known for generations. A fair trade and NGO-based brand, it has helped upwards of 2000 artisans, more than justifying the price point, which remains slightly higher than local stores.
- Prieya’s
A brand based in Bhubaneshwar, it mainly focuses on promoting Odisha’s handloom industry and materials, with modern pieces made from traditional techniques and fabrics such as their iconic Sambhalpuri Blazers. While the brand isn’t a 100% vegan and no comments have been shared on whether they have a fair trade certification, or whether their cotton is organic, the founder emphasises how they aim to support artisans, but no documentation of the supply chain is found yet.
Artisans and their art that captures the soul of a place, showing what it values and what grows there. Whether that be our GI-tagged Banarasi sarees or the thread work that borrows from nature and inspires us to keep nature alive. These textiles and prints, such as block printing in Rajasthan, are a culmination of centuries of knowledge and a response to our geographic conditions. In an era where the West is rebranding most of what makes South Asia special without due credit, it is high time we learn to appreciate what we have, because even if it’s not our style, it is our history. We don’t have to wear it, especially if we were handed these fabrics and clothes as a form of restriction rather than the burst of pattern and colours they are, but we can always take a moment to support these works as art, decor, or more, because such industries are truly the soul of India. With the right innovation, we could make Indian textiles a global phenomenon where everyone could find something and thus reclaim a part of us that colonisation tried to steal.
