Organic Fashion and Sustainability

Nowadays, the word “organic” is being thrown around a lot in the latest fashion world. An increasing number of brands are labeling their clothing lines and products as “Green”, “Eco-friendly” or “Sustainable”. Which is a great thing. Fashionable organic clothing is rapidly growing in its reach and demand in the market.

The term “green” or “sustainable” could mean a lot of different things. It could mean the source of clothing, which are organically grown raw materials that use no harmful pesticides and chemicals. “Sustainable” could also point to the manpower sustainability during the processing, where the minimum wage and right working conditions are provided to the workforce. It could also mean using recycled products to make new clothing material. Whatever be the interpretation of the word, the intention is to make fashion not only desirable to the consumers but also minimize the exploitation of the natural environment and manpower.

Though the concept of bringing about sustainability in the fashion industry had been introduced as early as the 90s, it is only in the recent times, that the trend has seen a massive growth. The fact that the impact of fashion on our environment must not be detrimental has been a late realization. In recent times, environmental degradation has only risen to near dangerous amounts. And the consequences are being seen on a daily basis with the depletion of resources, the rising pollution and smog in mega cities and frequent floods.

It was therefore, imperative for the fashion industry to work collectively towards bringing about a positive change by doing their bit in saving the environment. A lot of research is being done on the usage of fabrics and the processing methods to come up with innovative concepts of sustainable fashion. Since, the fashion industry is a major consumer of natural resources right from the conceptualization of designs to the final product in stores, it becomes an additional responsibility on the part of the industry to for see the impact of their actions on the natural environment.

It is also important to note that with the advent of social networking, it has now become fairly easier to educate the mass consumer base about the benefits of going organic in their fashion statements. Social media channels have a huge role to play as a channel to advocate sustainability in fashion.

The coming years are hard for our environment but with positive initiatives being taken around, we can assure ourselves to be hopeful about a better future ahead.