Sustainability, as a concept, has gained much traction in the recent past. While its usage is limited in most spheres; in fashion and beauty, it abounds. Being heralded at fashion weeks and spoken about by influencers has become the trend du jour. Actions speak much louder than words do, though. So it begs the question; are there any tangible changes, environment-friendly initiatives or sustainable movements actually taking place? Thanks to a number of progressive beauty and fashion brands in the Indian market, it's not a distant dream anymore. From recycling programs to waste fabric usage, they are making our world a cleaner place. These brands, originating in India and from over the world, are mindfully producing for individuals to consciously consume. On World Environment Day 2020, we're highlighting who these brands are, what they do and how they are making a difference to Mother Nature, one product at a time.
Environment-Safe And Sustainable Brands And Their Practices In India
Take a look as we list some of the cleanest and greenest beauty and fashion brands in India.
(Also Read: Anita Dongre On Sustainability And The Rise Of Eco-Friendly Fashion)
1. Phy And Plum
The Shield range from Phy
The sister brands, India's foremost vegan one Plum and men's grooming label Phy, lead the way to keep it green. Each run their #Empties4Good and #Return2Good campaigns which entail empty containers being collected for a redeemable sum. They contribute a percentage of their sales and profits to the World Wide Fund (WWF) and 1% for the Planet initiative to reduce human impact on the environment.
2. Chindi
Pouch made from jeans from Chindi
The fashion label was driven by the idea of transforming textile waste into useful fashion goods, as its name alone suggests. By collaborating with brands, factories and crafts people, they breathe new life into discarded cotton and wool textiles by transforming them into magnificent fashion garments and accessories. By creating wealth from waste fabrics, the brand is doing a large favour for the environment by bringing life to materials that would otherwise be discarded.
3. The Body Shop
Wonderfully Wonky Banana range by The Body Shop
A front runner in the sustainable brand space, The Body Shop is fighting plastic pollution with their Community Trade plastic recycling initiative which also transforms lives. Their in-store recycling scheme allows customers to return their empty products for an incentive. For their Wonky Is Wonderful campaign, the brand uses ginger, carrot and banana which are rejected by the food industry in their formulas as the nutritional content of the produce stays intact, even when its appearance doesn't.
4. Numero Uno
Jeans from Numero Uno
The Indian denim label has launched a 'one glass water' denim collection. Through a newly developed sustainable manufacturing process, the brand has reduced water and chemical waste by creating jeans that only require 1 glass of water to make; compared to approximately 70 litres of water being used in the traditional process. That cuts down on water usage for denim production by a great extent so imagine what the future holds.
(Also Read: 3 Reasons Why You Should Choose Sustainable Fashion)
5. Suta
Saree from Suta
Fashion label Suta inculcates sustainability in their garments wherever they can. Traditional practices are the heart of their weaves with their Khesh collection reusing excess garments to create new ones. They also reuse plastic packaging, circulate cloth bags and promote tree plantation drives. On behalf of every inhabitant of this planet, we're thankful for all they do.
6. Juicy Chemistry
Soap from Juicy Chemistry
From the time of its inception in 2014, the beauty brand has maintained its standard of minimal product packaging with materials that are recycled and recyclable. They also source raw material for their formulas in an ethical manner from small farms and suppliers. From packaging to ingredients, every step that this brand takes is an environmentally-conscious one.
7. Puma
Shoes from Puma x CSM
To collaborate with London-based design school Central Saint Martins, the sportswear brand launched their Puma X CSM collection. It implements the 'dope dye' technique which cuts down on energy, water and chemical usage as compared to conventional processing. Their campaign images were also digitally sampled to further reduce waste.
8. Paul Penders Botanicals
Hand cream from Paul Penders
Paul Penders was founded on the philosophy of no chemicals or animal testing. After becoming an Indian brand few years ago, manufacturing of products takes place in the country with ingredients from the Paul Penders nursery which exists in Uttarakhand. This further drives home their philosophy of staying close to nature.
9. Melissa
Shoes from Melissa
The Brazilian luxury footwear brand has collaborated with the likes of Zaha Hadid and Jason Wu. They are also frequently spotted on celebrities like Sonakshi Sinha and Jacqueline Fernandez. Their material of choice may be plastic but is used ingeniously as it is 100% recyclable to thoughtfully make the most of the material.
(Also Read: Evelyn Sharma On Responsible Fashion And The Importance Of Recycling/Upcycling)
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