Even if you want to shop more responsibly, navigating all the notions of sustainable fashion can be daunting. With more than just one attribute that can make your clothes better for the environment—organic materials, less water consumption, waste management and fair practises to name just a few—the road to building an all-conscious closet is a long one. But World Environment Day that falls every June 5, is a friendly reminder that it’s never too late to start the journey.
To help you hit refresh, we’ve listed the top lessons in conscious fashion from industry insiders below. These designers tell us how their designs champion a greener way of living. Keep reading!
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1. “Not all sustainable brands are boring,” says Bhumika Ahluwalia of Mishé, who co-founded the brand with her mother. The label’s silhouettes stand out for its unique cut-outs, patchwork-style tailored pisces and asymmetrical forms that are like no other. Here are some pieces you can bookmark.
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2. “Follow the 30-wear rule which questions if your purchase is going to last up to 30 wears or not,” suggests Neha Kabra, designer and founder of womenswear label Maati. “It’s the easiest way to start building your sustainable wardrobe,” she explains, adding that sustainable designers are not just for “hipsters”. Maati’s sleek designs include everything from floaty dresses and tops to saris and jackets. Check out our top picks below.
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3. “You shouldn’t restrict wearing craft-laden clothes to just special occasions,” said Tarun Tahiliani in a live conversation with fashion journalist Sujata Assomull. The veteran designer’s latest collection is one of his lightest ever—filled with easy-to-wear separates and sleek Indian wear that promotes re-wearability and timelessness in our closets. Be it chikankari or heritage weaves, he reiterated the need to revive the livelihoods of Indian craft communities. Shop the designer’s most-wanted pieces now.
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4. “Every conscious closet needs a few strong basics that you can use over and over again and can be styled differently,” says Kanika Jain. The founder and creative director of Kanelle also added that transitional pieces, which can be worn from day to night or over multiple occasions, are ideal responsible buys. Shop from her vibrant, free-spirited new collection here.
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5. “Upcycling refers to taking something that already exists and adding value to it—without changing the nature of the material itself. It uses little to no additional resources. While recycling means to disintegrate the material and weave it from scratch, in the case of textiles. This process uses more resources but the end product can be much larger,” explains Kriti Tula, creative head and co-founder of Doodlage. The fashion brand takes waste fabric from factories, fixes minute problems, and gives it new life.
Here are some other accessories with recycled materials you can add to cart.
Stay tuned at @NykaaFashion on Instagram for more!