ECO-UTURE: The Greener Side of Fashion

Stylemonger goes Green.....

Eco-awareness are all about novelties, media hype and and "trend" moments.
Are we ready to embrace ethical fashion and organic lifestyle? can we shed- off the faux eco-consciousness and puncture the bubble of our irresponsibilities and by heart address the reality?...

In marketing language, a gimmick is a quirky feature that distinguishes a product or service without adding any obvious function or value. Thus, sells solely on the basis of distinctiveness and may not appeal to the more savvy or intelligent consumers, so we see features in boxes with recyclable logos, eco- friendly avatars and organic labels.

Although some of the things we do seem like basic common sense, they would tell us, you should walk away from label/sweatshop stores and buy something from a local arts exhibition. Why on earth would you shop for vegetables in the air-conditioned basements of big malls instead of local markets? And why would anyone eat out in a disposable plastic plates instead of a backyard home- grown banana leaves anyway?

It feels like yesterday’s common sense has become today’s tokenism. Of course, good intentions matter. I don’t mean to demonise our present as the destroyer of all things good and green and old-fashioned.

Some of the foods, fabrics and services were created by the most unfair means of production in history; slavery, cheap labor practices and exploitations. Unless we can be sure that the steps we take today – whether it’s buying jeans from hip shops or vegetables out of a basket instead of a freezer – don’t rely on the same systems, we cannot count our practices as fair.

But there is no way that we can do this, unless we stop thinking of the ‘one person can make all the difference’ as a rule instead of a maxim. Unilateral decisions that do not involve the ideas and commitment of our family and the larger community may make for great dinner conversation, but they generally tend to detract from the larger fight.

Climate change and eco-disaster are not merely future inconveniences. They are a cataclysm already scheduled to happen. In this case, the best ‘return to roots,’ indeed, would be to get out of our heads and our houses, and get involved in local communities. Instead of trying to live without electricity for a year, work with the neighbours to bring down the apartment block’s carbon output. Invest in a farm that can sustain fairly-undertaken local labour while growing healthy food. Given all the work our forefathers put in to create a pleasant self sustaining land in which we could breathe freely, it’s the least we can do to take it seriously.

Pseudo "organic and eco-friendly" garments are already in the market, shouting labels like it is handcrafted, created from natural fibre, using traditional techniques, endeavouring to preserve precious heritage and support families of craftsmen.’ ...blah,blah..blah.


There are pioneers. There are followers. And then, there are opportunists. The latter group is highly misleading. They are quick to sense the trend of the moment, and without any real effort, seek the easiest way to make a fast buck, or 15 minutes of fame, or a good Samaritan tag, or something else in equivalence.

‘Eco’ is a much abused word in fashion. Many a campaign will have ‘noble’ product descriptions. An ‘eco-friendly purse’? Pray, what is that? Be specific, please. Take, for example, the aforementioned garment tag text, and analyse. It is deliberately worded to facilitate misinterpretation. ‘Natural fibre’ does not signify ‘organic’. ‘Support families of craftsmen’ does not translate into fair-trade or ethical labour laws. Components may be natural, but the complete product may not be biodegradable. The consumer’s ignorance is blissfully taken advantage of.


A host of 'planet-friendly' creators will attempt to make us believe in their angelic ethos. Fashionable materials like cotton, are intrinsically green’- seems to be a resounding chant. Fact is, industrial cultivation demands mammoth usage of pesticides and chemical fertilisers. Only a miniscule percentage of designers actually source ‘green’ fabric. Then there are those who had probably created one ‘organic’ collection in 2010, but still use it as leverage to call themselves ‘eco-friendly’...goodluck to your ethical mantras!
To maintain a green process throughout – dyeing, manufacturing, packaging and marketing - is an extremely difficult task. Price points are much higher, there are limitations at each step, and large scale production is hypocritical in eco-ideology. There are technical definitions of terms that need to be adhered to, and universal parameters and standards that need to be catered to, before branding a label ‘organic/ eco etc’.

We, unfortunately, use our terms very loosely, and most of us do not question or check stated facts. We eat what is fed to us, and there is really not much green in our diet.

What pseudo labels do is a bit like power theft – diverting clientele that should rightfully buy from the very few authentic eco designers. Striving to find a balance between green and profitability is the ultimate aim. The way to tell apart the genuines from the fakers is simple. The latter ones will continuously extol their own virtues, while the real eco brigade will question themselves. Recently, I met a prominent fashion figure who runs an organic fabric and supply business. “But,” she said, “When we pack our fabrics in plastic bags for shipment, I wonder – are we really green?”