World population and consumptions are at an all time high. With fashion trends changing and evolving every 2 weeks, Fast Fashion has become a way of life for most fashion conscious people. Quick turnaround times, cheap and easy availability make fast fashion clothing extremely attractive to consumers. However, on the flip side, the fads and fickle trends are seriously harming the environment by generating extreme amounts of waste. Earlier each item of clothing would be worn at least 50 times, however recently that number has fallen down to 5-10 times. Less than 5% of the clothes produced globally are recycled, which means more than 95% of garments produced end up in landfills.
If fast fashion continues to grow at the existing rate, global warming will keep increasing, the pollution in the oceans is going to be rising constantly and plastic and harsh chemicals will enter the food chain. The presence of such carcinogenic materials in the food chain will lead to an increase in health related problems.
Recycling and up-cycling is a great concept that promotes slow fashion and focuses on reducing the waste generated. Slow fashion works on the idea of investing in classic pieces. They may not be in line with the latest fad, but they will always be fashionable, which reduces the chance of people discarding the item of clothing even when the trends change. However, just reducing consumption is not enough. It’s important to switch raw materials which degrade naturally and are gentler on the environment.
It is now time, for the fashion industry at large to shift and make a change towards a more sustainable way of production. Natural cellulose based fibres like fabric made out of wood pulp are not just better for the environment but they are also gentler on the skin. Due to the high breathability of these fabrics, people with sensitive skin are recommended to wear garments made out of them. Great fluidity and texture also increase the fashion quotient of these fabrics!
In addition to this, companies also need to make technological advances and modifications to the production processes to ensure an overall cleaner approach. Companies like Spykar Lifestyles use solar power and relies heavily on latest technology like laser machines, ozone wash technology and cloud wash that has aided the brand to lower the material to liquid ratio considerably. All denims that Spykar rolls out are made using environmentally responsible processes right from recycled cotton, washes that require less water to technologically advance dry processes such as laser techniques.
Views by –
Mr. Nelson Jaffery- Head of design Birla Cellulose, Pulp & Fibre Business, Aditya Birla Group
Mr. Abhishek Yadav- Design Head, Spykar Lifestyles
