Tag: fashion revolution

For the Love of Fabrics

For the Love of Fabrics

Telling Tales of Threads

High quality materials and craftsmanship are the cornerstone of all our brands. At IKKIVI Zine, we spoke with Aarushi Kilawat, Founder and Creative Head of The Loom Art about her deep connections to fabrics, what a revolution means for her, and how she believes we can cooperate in the face of competition.

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What does a fashion revolution mean for you and The Loom Art?

A fashion revolution is a larger word with a lot of weight. From when we started to where we are now, we have mellowed down with the word and how we use it – sometimes a revolution doesn’t have to be put out in such big letters. As people, our own journey with a fashion revolution is one where we are trying to understand what it means in which context. But for us at The Loom Art, what a fashion revolution really means is that we need to keep re-doing ourselves and the ideologies we have been working on. What we see is that post the pandemic, people are more aware of slow fashion and slow living, and how we can sustain ourselves with bare necessities. Our challenge now is to see how long we can sustain that lifestyle.

None of us can always do the right thing in every direction, and so with a fashion revolution, it’s important for us to find our own direction. For The Loom Art it’s about people who work with us. I am someone who loves being involved with my people, not just professionally but also emotionally. The whole essence of people who work at the ground level – our artisans – are our backbone. It’s about being able to offer them a livelihood, and encourage their younger generations and communities to pursue careers and be part of this craft.

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Have you been working with the same artisans for the last 5 years?

Yes, the team I started with is still with me. We’ve grown ofcourse. And we’ve all been very emotionally involved in the growth of the team. There’s a different high to that altogether – we’ve gone from a team of 3 to 25 now. And all of them know what we (The Loom Art) are about, even though they weren’t all from the same background when we started.

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What are the fabrics you work with and why do you choose them?

Until 3 years ago, we primarily used only khadi as it is a fabric that can last a lifetime. Now we’ve expanded our range, but only to include other handwoven fabrics. Along with khadi, we now do a variety of silks and linen. I love to hold and smell the fabric and I love how India is so rich in craft. Each of these fabrics has a tremendous amount of potential to be made into different silhouettes, and with each, the pieces would still be gorgeous.The fall, the texture, everything comes through with these fabrics. I also choose to work with them as the garments made from these fabrics are exceptionally durable and each piece of clothing can be passed on from generation to generation. I like the feeling that it travels a journey and passes on to another person, to have another story.

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There is a general notion that sustainable businesses should stay or be small; that when they scale up too much it becomes harder to maintain sustainable practices. Do you think there is some truth to this idea?

Yes, but not completely. You need to be able to follow certain practices and maintain quality over and above everything. You never want to lose our essence due to the pressures of quantity, and if you get too wrapped up with the numbers game, you might lose your ground. The middle ground is always there where you can do your thing, offer it to others at a growing scale domestically and internationally, and still stay sustainable. That middle ground is key.

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Customers and consumers were limited to shopping online during the pandemic. We consequently see a lot of competition for attention in the digital space for lower price points from customers over what may be sustainable. Does this ever have an impact on your work?

Yes, sometimes there is a fight for attention. But what we are trying to do is create a conscious community, not force anyone to do something. Keeping up with trends works for some people, and that’s okay. There are people who love what we do at The Loom Art as well as in sustainable fashion, and want to know more. Those are the people we want to work for and are working for. People have lost the idea of touching and feeling and knowing the garment and understanding why it costs what it costs, especially when made ethically. It becomes a challenge and I have also struggled with it. But we have been able to create a valuable section of consumers who know what we are, see our brand value and support our work. For them and for us, it’s not just about sales. It is about having  a conversation and narrating your story, as well as building a community through physical interaction. What I think is most important to understand is what you do and why you do it.

CREDITS

ROUGE CORAL DRESS
HOLLOW MOON CHOKER NECKLACE
ICY RUST
SUMMER BLOOM
ROSE PUNCH
GALAXY CHOKER NECKLACE

Fashion Revolution Week

Fashion Revolution Week

How You Can Be Part of the Movement

The catastrophic collapse of the Rana Plaza Factory (24th April, 2013) in Bangladesh that killed over 1130 garment workers manufacturing clothing for several major fashion brands has revealed the vast complexities that have prevailed in the fashion system for over half a century, and has become a caveat for the fashion industry in the last few years to take measures towards the betterment of the working conditions of its people and within their factories. The industry’s complex value chain and systemic inequalities compel us all to be(come) vitally involved now in reforming its structural practices and building awareness about sustainable and ethical fashion – both as producers and consumers.

As the industry is starting to change slowly, this Fashion Revolution Week, a time where brands and producers are urged to give consumers an insight into their production processes – what goes on behind the scenes at their brand – we’d like to share with you how you can be part of the revolution with us.

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1. Do research on the brands you (want to) shop from and asking them questions 

In order for us to be able to make conscious choices when shopping, it’s important to understand the processes of production and supply chain through which our garments or products are being made. Asking the brand questions about how the products were designed (whether they were handcrafted or mass produced), what kind of materials were used in their make (were they organic or include chemicals, vegan or utilized animal products/ residues), where they were manufactured (locally or globally), what kind of techniques their design processes included, the amount of waste generated, minimized and reutilized in their creation, the number of hours it takes to produce one product, the working conditions of their artisans and fair pay are some of the most direct and immediate ways in which we can inquire about what went into the making of their goods and services, and prevent us from being influenced by greenwashing. It’s okay if you may have previously purchased from a brand that you love without knowing about their methods of production, learning about them today is still valuable, as, in the long run it will help to make more informed decisions.

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2. Use the #whomademyclothes hashtag on social media 

The #whomademyclothes hashtag has come about as a way to encourage people to ask brands where their clothes come from, who makes them, under what kind of working conditions and pay. One way you can partake in this is by taking a photo of your brand’s label during Fashion Revolution Week, and asking the brand #whomademyclothes? by sharing it and tagging the brand in your post on Instagram or Twitter. Many brands may not respond to the question or share only limited information about it, but brands that are genuinely aware and involved with the people who work with them are likely to show transparency of their processes. If a brand doesn’t respond, we encourage you to keep asking them and exercising your consumer rights.

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3. Learn about the impact of fast fashion

The social, economic and environmental effect of fast fashion is nearly irreversibly damaging for both our environment and people. More than 60% of clothes are made of synthetic materials derived from petrochemicals that do not decompose, but instead break down into smaller and smaller particles called microfibers and microplastics. Discarded clothing made of synthetic fibers now sits in landfills for 200 years. 97% of fast fashion is produced in developing countries with poor labor laws, human rights protections, forced and child labor under dangerous working conditions and abuse and unlivable wages. While knowing about such injustices and labyrinthine difficulties that surround the fashion system can feel discouraging and induce in us feelings of anger, guilt and shame, we hope that knowing the realities of these situations can strengthen your resolution to consume and create differently, and shift consciousness by learning about the workings of fast fashion more frequently.

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4. Understand the scope of slow fashion and climate consciousness

It can be difficult for brands to start out 100% sustainable in all their practices. But a label’s openness to evolve with time is a characteristic that is bringing on a lot of innovation and advancement in sustainable practices. Learning about how certain slow fashion brands are innovating and challenging themselves to do better with each collection can inspire our curiosity and build trust in participating and supporting a fashion revolution at the micro, everyday level. For example, our sustainable brand ‘Doodlage’ wields scrap waste and recycled materials, ‘SUI’ uses organic fabrics made from hemp, and ‘Mishe’ employs orange peel fabric to create novel designs – all of which are taking them – and us – a step further in understanding sustainable production and studying the influences of diverse materials on the natural world. At the same time, following the work of world leaders, climate activists, organizations and policy makers can educate us on the agency and power we hold at a collective level and how we can initiate action and change, as both individuals and businesses.

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5. Cultivate awareness with friends and family

Nothing makes being involved in creating change as fun as having trivia games, movie nights, book clubs and conversations with our loved ones! Coming together and thinking about the ways in which we can create a community around the subject, engage with it meaningfully, build a more conscious wardrobe and allow each other to learn a little more than we knew a day before goes a long way in making a real difference.

Sustainability and fashion revolution as a movement and practice, will always keep building and challenging us to be better – and with it, our methods. In our ideal to make fashion 100% sustainable and slow, together, as a community, we believe it is of key value to keep our eye on progress over perfection, and do as much as we can, when we can. Every step counts. Every decision makes a difference.

CREDITS

HARRIET TUNIC
CLOVE SLIM COIN WALLET
CARPE DIEM
ROSEWOOD SHIRT
TEA DYED JACKET
CHAE TOP

A Revolution of ‘Self’ and ‘Consciousness’

Art by Suzie Blake

A Revolution of ‘Self’ and ‘Consciousness’

The Broader Dimension of a Fashion Revolution

The complex environmental and social problems that have stemmed from the fashion industry’s detrimental and unconscious practices have called for a systemic reform in its overall value chain by several activists, brands, national and international bodies and trade union groups over the last decade. Reforms at the systemic level have kept emphasis on the implementation of changes in the social, economic and environmental order of production and consumption of fast-fashion and related “fast” goods. Through the years, the focus maintained on the collective practices of these three facets has been leading to the revision of many problems that fashion faces as an industry – specifically with respect to sourcing, transparency, the use of unsustainable materials and fibres, toxic waste and labour working conditions. Though we rightly tend to focus on the practical and tangible changes that such a revolution in the fashion system is generating, there remains discussion of an additional aspect that this discourse points to(ward): of identifying the broader dimension of a Fashion Revolution. 

The issue of becoming conscious in fashion requires for us to realise that meaningful change in the fashion system may begin with changes in the fashion industry but must extend to realms beyond ‘fashion’ and its economics. The objective of a fashion revolution is not only to have designers, industrialists or consumers adopt sustainable and egalitarian practices at the systemic level, but to cause a shift, a revolution, in ‘consciousness’, and consequently, of ‘self’ itself, at the broadest individual level. 

Art by Suzie Blake

In the context of our individual practices, the ‘self’ and ‘consciousness’ can be perceived as being the objects of one’s reflexive focus – the objects, through which we are (and become) aware of ourselves (our feelings, temperaments, thoughts, beliefs, actions, choices) and of the world. And though our ‘self’ and ‘consciousness’ lie beyond our individual personalities, they play a defining role in shaping our consumption choices and practices, at both, the macro and micro level. While our personalities embody our individuality, our ‘self’ and ‘consciousness’ act as the faculty through which our myriad qualities and tastes are cultivated; tastes not only for fine(r) objects, but also, our moral and practical tastes. In this way, the (negative and positive) practices prevalent in the fashion system are mirrors reflecting to us the state of our collective consciousness. But as collective consciousness is dialectically intertwined with individual consciousness, effective changes in (mass-) production processes are also highly dependent on constituents – apart from market dynamics – dictating individual consumption patterns and choices. 

Global changes in the industrial domain alone cannot foster such a systemic revolution in the long run. There are two intersecting factors underlying this. The first is that while changes in economic and social practices can cause material, physical or substantive changes in the fashion system, they cannot affirm qualitative or reflective changes in the individual consciousnesses upon which the growth of ethical and sustainable practices are ultimately contingent. The second, that production and consumption are mirror processes of each other – making them both equally dominant in the value chain. 

Art by Suzie Blake

“Identifying the (individual) meaningfulness of garments, commodities and objects both in themselves and in our lives – beyond style and appearance – would also impact not only our (collective and individual) ‘consciousness’, but the fashion value chain at large through revised consumption choices. “

The question that arises here then is, what alternatives would we primarily need to adopt in our personal domains in order to appreciate the complexities that underlie such a revolution – both within and beyond its immediate context? To propel thought in this direction it would be valuable to consider what ‘fashion’ and ‘revolution’ mean to us subjectively, not as a compound term representative of a movement, but as individual ideas, entities and practices that entail personal, political and cultural meanings. Identifying the (individual) meaningfulness of garments, commodities and objects both in themselves and in our lives – beyond style and appearance – would also impact not only our (collective and individual) ‘consciousness’, but the fashion value chain at large through revised consumption choices.  

Whether we perceive mass-consumption as the sum total of individual consumption, or as a gestalt – where mass-patterns of consumption would represent a whole greater than the sum of its individual parts – the fact remains that individual dispositions are crucial for channelling a more complete revolution of the system. Becoming (more) conscious and intentional in our living, contemplating our quotidian traditions, as well as our relationship with fashion and with ourselves, would enable us to recognise what it means to be participants in an industry that is now directing attention toward responsibility, correction, and change. More so, it would allow us to understand subtle aspects of ourselves and indicate the things we need to manoeuvre ourselves into to (continue to) bring forth structural change. 

We collaborated with artist Suzie Blake for the artwork in this thought piece. Here is what inspires her art:

” Through my practice I explore the disruptive force of female life as it jostles with the man-made. Camille Paglia says, “society is an artificial construction, a defence against nature’s power”. It is this power that interests me. Societal organisations such as religion, science and politics are the skin into which I inject the chaos, dynamism, creation and destruction of feminine archetype.”

CREDITS

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