Sustainable fashion challenged at the laundry

Rahul Mishras SpringSummer 2017 showcase at Paris Fashion Week last October was hailed for the use of intricate embroideries on organza which could withstand gentle low temperature washing in a household washing machine PicGETTY IMAGESMumbai designer Nimish Shah potters around his Mira Road workshop from where his sixyearold label Shift is created He speaks passionately about his commitment to making fashion more sustainable with special emphasis given to choice of fabric and pattern cutting that minimises factory waste But he is aware that not everything is in his controlSustainability is linked to the life of a garment But 80 per cent of its life cycle depends on the consumer he saysShah is referring to a dilemma that most Indian fashion enthusiasts who wish to support ethical fashion face While they go to great lengths to choose an ethical label things may go downhill from there especially since garment care isnt always sustainableWe are not an assembly line massproduced label We work with artisanal textiles and experiment with fusing fabrics For instance cotton is used with a silk liningSo by default our clothes have to carry the dry clean only tag Shah saysPhyllida Jay anthropologist and expert on contemporary Indian fashion sustainability and luxury agrees She puts the onus on the designer when she says Its problematic when everyday clothes come with dry clean only tags Even the most delicate muslin should be able to withstand a gentle handwash in cold water with mild nonsulphate detergentAnavila Misra who works with a cluster in Gadwal sticks to simple fabrics as the easiest way to ensure sustainable aftercareDry cleaning is toxicWhich brings us to the risk that dry cleaning which most see as an invisible laundry process poses to the environment Professional cleaning methods use a liquid chemical solvent called perchloroethylene or perc Known to be an effective stain eraser without being labour intensive perc is believed to cause serious health and environmental hazards Americas Environment Protection Agency EPA has termed it a toxic air ground and water pollutant with carcinogenic propertiesFor Indian designers like Shah Rahul Mishra Rina Singh and Anavila Misra creating sustainable fashion isnt tokenism But while they meet the created locally criteria for a more sustainable fashion line they have little control once the garment leaves the fashion storePersonally Id handwash my own garments but we cant monitor how the consumer will act on instructions making us legally bound if something goes wrong while garments are washed at home I dont think any designer can claim to be 100 per cent sustainable admits ShahRina Singh of EkaKeeping it simpleKeeping clothes simple is one way out This is ably demonstrated in Misras handwoven sarees Her USP is linen and she is actively involved with a cluster of weavers in Gadwal near Hyderabad While she creates 90 per cent of her own textiles and takes care against fading pigments and shrinkage she cant guarantee how temperamental jamdani and zari will react when washed at home Dry cleaning is the easiest way of covering yourself against anything that could go wrong she stressesDelhi designer Rina Singh says that although her garments could withstand gentle handwash stores insist on tags carrying the dry clean instruction to reduce liabilityDelhi designer Rina Singhs label Eka is textiledriven She veers towards natural fibres such as wool cotton linen and silk Anything that I create adheres to the Make in India philosophy she smiles To ensure longevity her garments are treated to two prewashes at a workshop in Gurgaon In an ideal world she says dry cleaning is not essential A simple handwash in cold water and drying in the shade is sufficient In fact since her clothes are not form fitting she advises against ironing too But the aftercare instructions tend to carry the dry clean tag when her garments reach the store We have to mention dry clean along with handwash because store owners dont want to risk refund or returns We cant control how the customer will understand instructions especially when detergent and water temperature come into playRahul MishraJay points out that some designers hide behind the handloom label using it as a crutch for their aesthetic andor ethical standpoint Thereof the pretty perception that since they are handloom they are somehow exempt from expectations against shrinkage leaching of colour or general deterioration Its now intrinsic to marketing to be antimachine wash because its handcrafted and therefore delicate Designers have become lazy about the technical development of fabrics and dont do sufficient research to create practical textiles she addsDefining the line between decoration and design recycling versus innovation Rahul Mishra made us see something new in familiar garments by creating a seasonless clothing aesthetic exploring local craftsmanship and homegrown fabricsNow he is in the mood to expose his buyers and the industry at large to the myths surrounding dry cleaning His SpringSummer 2017 readytowear collection showcased at Paris Fashion Week in October last year received accolades for skilled almost animate embroideries on organza which could withstand gentle low temperature washing in a household washing machine He simplified the process of designer dressmaking by testing threads and fabrics such as handwoven cotton viscose voile polyester and surface texturing including 3D motifs Funnily the mention of machine wash devalues the work of a designer in India But in Paris the idea was celebrated for its uniqueness he saysMumbai designer Nimish Shah who works with artisanal textiles for his label Shift says he cant monitor aftercare That makes us legally bound if something goes wrong while washing garments at home I donrsquot think any designer can claim to be 100 per cent sustainable he says PicSatej ShindeMishra plans to continue his exploits by introducing 50 per cent of his collection at the upcoming India Couture Week with machine wash instructions that could be programmed to an ecofriendly wash at 30 degrees It would be interesting to see couture or occasion wear pieces otherwise relying on dry cleaning because of the use of delicate fine lace and fickle needlework engage with a machine wash My brand was also a victim of the oxymoron sustainable clothes that demand dry cleaning but after understanding its toxic chemical effects I want to continue my study into other washing habits he says