Is India ready for vegan fashion?

In a silk-loving country like India, the concept of vegan fashion has always been a bit of a grey area. Internationally, designers like Stella McCartney have been the potent voices of animal-friendly fashion. Last year, Swedish high street label H&M launched a line of eco-conscious clothing and did a campaign hashtagging #BeConscious. But by and large, the value-for-money conscious Indian customer wants to look and feel good.

The Fashion Design Council of India has partnered with PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) to promote the cause of vegan fashion through the Fashion for Freedom Boycott Bill, urging organisations and designers to commit to this issue, so there are some who are thinking about lesser advocated causes.

Designer Anita Dongre did an organic line made with vegetable dyes a few seasons ago which did well but given the heavy production cost could not keep the production on for long. Pero by Aneeth Arora and Ecru have been other voices of eco-friendly, sustainable clothing. We debate if there's a market for vegan fashion in India and also an understanding of the subject...

Fur has lost its sheen
Maithili Ahluwalia, owner of Bungalow 8 is a vegetarian and is against killing animals. She observes that there's a greater consciousness now about vegan fashion. "Handloom has become chic-er than it was. Labels like Abraham & Thakore and Anavila have come out with eco-friendly collections. As more and more designers have helped contemporarised handloom, it has definitely helped shape people's understanding. I have definitely seen a shift in people's sensibilities. Fur has lost its sheen over the years. There are two ways of living - there are people who enjoy fur and side by side, there is an alternate movement where they despise fur. All in all there's a greater consciousness and people are asking questions which is the most amazing thing. Stella McCartney has been at the forefront of this movement and in India there is Aneeth Arora. There's an alternate voice of consumer - today you can be chic and conscious at the same time."

Costly production
Anita Dongre who's been a vegetarian since the age of 12. She recently turned totally vegan and avoids any sort of animal products in her collections - be it clothing or accessories. "I never use leather, fur in any of my products. Ever since I turned vegan, I have been very particular about this."
She's also an doing accessories line and finds it challenging to come up with a solution. "A few years ago, I did an organic line of organic cotton and vegetable natural dyes produced from leaves. The line did really well but the production was not possible because you can only produce dyes in limited quantity." Anita had collaborated with an NGO for the same.
The vegetable dyes are 10 times more expensive which shoots up the R&D. "Given a choice, I'd choose only organic," she says.

Disregard for fashion movements
Fashion critic Asmita Aggarwal observes that India is not a country where designers really care about movements, unless it is fashionable or will get them publicity. "But a few of them do stick to their organic beliefs - like Aneeth Arora of Pero. Arora, in her Autumn/winter 2014 collection, used faux fur (cotton developed into this luxe texture) which was a refreshing change. Rajesh Pratap Singh never uses anything but plant extracts, so his dyes are derived from the madder plant, to give that heavenly red to his Khadi line which he showcased in Ahmedabad recently," she says.
She adds, "Personally, I think it is a heartwarming topic and if handled with the right 'care' activists, it can spiral into a revolution, changing the style landscape, forever."

No evolved mindset in India
Stylist Allia Al Rufai says, "It's all about being conscious. Vegan fashion is definitely a trend internationally. In India, Ecru does organic collection, also Pero works with it to an extent. The offerings are environment friendly and designers stay away from artificial dyes. Having said that I'd like to add that India does not have an evolved mindset."

Synthetic vs homegrown
Designer Payal Singhal sees a half-way divide - synthetic vs homegrown fabric. "There's a huge following for earthy fabrics. We have never used synthetic fabrics. Khadi and organic cotton are big now. Also, many weaves are being used which are not necessarily pure silk threads. They have a silk feel with woven fabric. But you can't take away silk," says she.
Payal feels that in fashion history usage of leather and fur has been well documented and hence should not be condemned. "In a cold country how much fake leather and fake fur can you wear? People need that warmth," she adds.

Only a fraction serious about it
Designer Payal Khandwala says, "Only a small percentage of people are really sincere about it. Also, we are a silk loving country but how do we know which is violent silk and which is non-violent. Of course, beautiful polyester looks like silk but the process is as expensive. Honestly, a very few people know about the fabric and there are no discerning customers."