Conscious fashion & its scope in India

27 March 2023, Mumbai  

Indian customer becomes open to the idea of ‘Conscious fashion’ as she grows more aware of how buying habits affect the environment. By providing sustainable products, retail companies in India are capitalizing on the growing trend of green shopping.

Interesting points to ponder; Broadly 'Conscious fashion' is all about a social movement that looks to give a positive impetus to sustainable and ethical practices in the apparel/fashion industry while contemplating the potential environmental and social impacts it leaves and sharpening its vision on how to mitigate the ill effects of its value chain.

Fashion with a Conscience; In the background, as consumers’ awareness of their environmental impact keeps growing, and availability & demand for green products rise 'Conscious fashion' will only become a reality sooner than later. increasingly available in the marketplace.

Clothing and Character Traits

The old adage is 'Clothing is a reflection of society's values & Personality shapes product involvement'. Quite rightly so consumer behavior and preferences can be well understood through their choices in fashion and the type of attire they choose to sport. To discover how Indian youth's engagement/indulgence with fashion relates to their purchase and advertising involvement/influence and aligns with traditional social values and dressing habits.

India's Conscious Fashion Revolution

As usual in any sector, Early adopters & players seeking early movers in the Indian apparel industry are spearheading giving impetus to 'Conscious fashion' and sustainable fashion.

As 'Conscious fashion' is arriving in India is only prompting apparel brands aiming for first-mover advantage to adopt ethical and sustainable practices to meet growing consumer demand for products that are recyclable & safe for both people & the environment.

A sustainable clothing line was developed by the fashion label Indian Terrain in 2020 in collaboration with Fairtrade India, and Madame debuted its Eco-Conscious range in April of this year. Several new businesses have emerged in the sustainable fashion industry during the past several years.

Sustainable Fashion in India; They include, among others, The Pant Project, ANI Clothes, Sparsh Organic, and DaMENSCH. The business research company predicted that the worldwide market for ethical fashion would increase at a CAGR of 6.8% from $6.35 billion in 2019 to $8.25 billion in 2023.

A piece of data point; A dubious distinction about India's textile industry is that it is the world's second-largest polluter, consuming a whooping 93 billion cubic meters of water every single year. Whilst 'Conscious fashion' is a symbol advocate for ethical and sustainable practices across supply chains recognized by all prominent actors of the value chain, the argument being made is that consumers of the day are favoring organic cotton and traditional handicrafts.

The users and makers should not be in different places

Conscious dressing; Madame has created patterns that reduce cloth waste during production. By 2030, the company aims to become carbon-negative and cut its carbon footprint by at least 80%. Now, its sustainable apparel line makes up about 3% of its entire revenue.

Mitigating value chain impacts; Our sustainable assortment is thoughtfully priced between Rs 1,699 and 2,999. According to Akhil Jain, executive director of Madame, "We are now targeting millennials and Gen Z customers in the metro centers since they are prepared to spend a high price for a responsible product.

By fusing traditional materials, craft, and production methods with modern designs, brands produce clothing lines that speak to consumers' current sensibilities. Using natural materials obtained from weavers all around India, Taneira, Tata's ethnic wear brand that debuted in 2017, has unveiled a range of sarees inspired by the flora and animals of the woods.

Fashion for a sustainable future

Experts put it like this happy that 'Conscious fashion' is a movement towards more ethical and sustainable practices in the fashion industry, taking into account the impact on the environment and workers' welfare and, witnessing a tailwind given the growing interest in a conscious fashion, with a focus on traditional textiles and artisanal techniques. But not really happy seeing that in India, it is still broadly lip service and not many walk the talk to make it a reality of the day.

Key to conscious fashion success; As India's fashion industry gets under public scrutiny-faces/the radar of activists & environmentalists alike severe environmental and ethical challenges, the rising sensitization around the 'Conscious fashion' movement is setting the stage for a more sustainable and responsible future.

Regulations Challenging the Fashion Industry

Regulatory overhang; The article harps on the aspect of regulatory challenges the sector is posed with it is to emphasize here that, the absence of clear regulations and standards in India comes with its own set of challenges for the 'Conscious fashion' movement, making it hard for consumers to recognize sustainable products.

It would not be out of the place here to state that the Indian fashion industry faces a plethora of regulatory challenges of different types & levels in implementing sustainable practices, also taking into account weak/patchy enforcement of labor laws and inadequate infrastructure for waste management and recycling amongst other factors.

Ethical choices in the fashion industry foster conscious and sustainable practices; What are we getting & what are we getting wrong; Regulatory and infrastructural improvements today are more of a business imperative, as there are risk-reward for the Indian fashion industry as there is a strong suspicion that risks are perpetuating unsustainable and unethical practices, with possibly catastrophic repercussions for the environment and workers.

Fashion for a Cause

'Conscious fashion' is a visionary idea capable of bringing transformational change in the Indian apparel industry per se, considering the dynamism of the sector's landscape pushing both brands and consumers alike to embrace sustainability and ethical practices which is a big plus.

Even if sustainable clothes are mentioned, the meaning of sustainable fashion and fabric still needs to be determined. "Whether it is cotton and raw materials supplied properly, or the fabric construct is eco-friendly, or washes and dyes are being degradable — the rules and best practices are not widely understood," says Rachit Mathur, partner, and managing director at BCG.

Sustainable and ethical practices drive the conscious fashion movement

Becoming a sustainable fashion brand requires significant financial outlay. It may be difficult for businesses to implement sustainable practices throughout the entire value chain, from the sourcing of fabrics, demand planning, manufacturing, coloring, stitching, etc., to the logistics and last-mile delivery to the store or end user, and finally, the reverse logistics and disposal of excess stock.

Environmentally-conscious fashion; According to Rajat Wahi, partner consulting Deloitte India, these processes have a substantial cost. Also, shops cannot afford to invest in this if the final customer just wants fashion for a season and is unprepared to pay a higher price.

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