Fashion Designer Purvi Doshi Talks Sustainability, Her Brand New App And More

“Sustainability cannot be a passing moment, we have crossed that environmental threshold, that allowed sustainability to be an option. Rivers are getting polluted, flora & fauna are getting extinct, the biosphere is getting disrupted, machines are taking jobs of millions of people”, elaborated fashion designer Purvi Doshi when we asked her opinion on fashion’s newest obsession. 

Starting her line back in 1992, The ‘Purvi Doshi’ label creates garments rooted in the traditional arts and weaves of India and supports sustainable livelihoods, ecological balance, and humanity. Every piece in Doshi’s collections is handmade and it’s also the first Indian label to be given the Eco-Age Brandmark that celebrates ethical brands worldwide. She recently presented her new, eco-fabulous “Wagad” Collection at the ‘Who’s Next’ exhibition in Paris in September 2019.

“We had a great experience presenting “Wagad” at Who’s Next, Paris. We were chosen for the IMPACT zone – A zone for sustainable designers, which was launched for the first time, this season. Out of the few fashion themes, we chose “made by” & “slow is beautiful”. IMPACT was the most marketed zone and we had a lot of visitors from different places of the country visiting. Our fabric, Kala cotton one of the purest and rarest breeds of organic cotton and the ancient extra weft weaving technique was unique and appreciated the most. People stopping by the stall felt the fabric and saw the collection and remarked that it was very different and unique for them”, confessed Purvi. 

The Story Behind ‘Wagad”

Talking about the collection, Purvi revealed, “The collection was made using the purest and the rarest species of organic cotton named Kala cotton, using the most ancient weaves from Kutch region of Gujarat. These weaves were traditionally used to make rugs, carpets, and sarees, from which we brought them to mainstream fashion. The inspiration was the tribes of Kutch, we have been inspired by them for a very long period of time and we can still create a lot of creations with the same inspiration”. We do love the simple charm of the pieces!

Her Work With Kala Cotton

Introducing us to a new fabric that we want to explore, Purvi spoke about the use of Kala cotton in her collection. “As we have mentioned that Kala cotton is one of the purest and rarest breeds of cotton. Apart from that Kala cotton is a rain-fed crop, which is extremely important to in today’s time when the Fashion industry is touted as one of the most environmentally destructive industries out there. And the textile industry consumes a lot of water. Few people are unaware of the fact that though cotton uses less water as compared to other fabrics, it still consumes a lot of water. 1 mtr of cotton requires 20,000 liters of water, whereas our collection uses Kala Cotton & 1 mtr of Kala Cotton uses 1500 liters of water”, she informed. 

Purvi also mentioned, “Choosing Kala cotton is a way forward, or next big step towards sustainability, as organic cotton does not use any kind of pesticides and also saves water. It is good for the skin, for the planet and also good for the people who are engaged in the process of growing the cotton or making the fabric”. 

The Traceability App

Purvi’s collection is boosted with a fascinating app, one which tells us where our clothes come from. “Creating the traceability app was again a gigantic and much-needed step forward toward’s the label’s vision of all-round sustainability. The fashion industry also needs to showcase transparency in its methods, with more authenticity. As a consumer, you may want to know the hands that created the garment or the location from where the yarn was procured. When you say it’s organic and it is handwoven, traceability app allows you a chance to prove the authenticity and in turn builds more trust and belief in the brand”, she revealed. Millennials love to mix tech and everyday life, we think this will be interesting to explore as well. 

The Need For Sustainability

Being a designer with a goal to make fashion more green, Purvi has strong opinions about sustainability. “Fashion has always been commonplace for innovation and technology has always paved ways to innovate more, and over time has enabled the customers. It has already started with BlockChain and other apps, we created traceability etc, and we are sure more designers will follow suit, which will result in the growth of transparency and take fashion towards the right path. Sustainability has to be the way forward and the future for this industry. The lesser resources we use, and lesser we harm the other living beings, the better the world will be for our future generations!”. We agree. 

ALSO READ: 5 Sustainable, Indian Fashion Brands That You Need To Support RN

Purvi also shared her insight on what goes behind the scene when you are a sustainable label. “When you start walking on the path of sustainability, it changes you. Apart from your work you also start thinking about how you can be sustainable in the other areas of your life. How you can reduce your waste, use lesser resources, reuse a lot of things, reduce our carbon footprint as an individual as well as a brand. We need to have that faith and belief system in place that constantly reminds us that small changes in our routine life can make a huge difference! For eg- I replaced tissue papers with reusable cloth wipes, or how we stopped using plastic straws, carrying our own bottles and so on. So when you move towards sustainability it will not only change your thinking but also your approach and in turn your lifestyle”, she confessed. Indeed, the little things matter!

What We Can Do To Make Fashion Greener

Purvi shared her tip on how we as inidviduals can be more conscious of our fashion choices. “As beautifully quoted by Vivienne Westwood, “Buy less, choose well”, I encourage customers to buy pieces that are not just made with love, but made with love for the air, water & all the species that share them with us. Buy pieces that are timeless and could be passed to the next generations with pride and love”, she elaborated. Love!

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