Circularity and sustainability are two buzzwords that have only gained in popularity since the pandemic last year. This case study of the sustainable fashion brand Let’s Save As based in Allahabad, shows how it practices ethical sourcing and sustainable production by transforming scraps from factories into unique products.
Circularity and sustainability are two buzzwords that have only gained in popularity since the pandemic last year. This case study of the sustainable fashion brand Let’s Save As based in Allahabad, shows how it practices ethical sourcing and sustainable production by turning scraps from factories into unique products.
The fashion industry is regarded as the second largest contributor to global waste. The garment and fashion industry is known for its unsustainable practices, such as resource exploitation, waste of materials, and unethical treatment of workers. In recent years, the fashion industry has been causing environmental and social damage by exploitation of resources. This awareness has influenced purchase decisions and led to a shift towards sustainable fashion. Garment designers and manufacturers must adopt sustainable practices to save the environment and reduce textile waste. Sustainability and ethical fashion are now a core part of the operations of many international brands and independent designers. These brands are able to connect with their customers through transparency, stories, and their uniqueness.
According to estimates, apparel manufacturers consume 10 percent of the energy in our country. This leads to a higher carbon footprint compared to other industries. It will take time for the garment industry to reduce pollution, but many Indian manufacturers are implementing sustainable practices into their supply chains. Indian designers, entrepreneurs, and brands are focusing on concepts such as 3R: Reduce, Recycle, Reuse. They are transforming the linear production model into a circular economy with their innovative ideas.
Anshika Jadav, a Bhubaneshwar-based alumna of the National Institute of Fashion Technology Bhubaneshwar, founded Let’s Save As in September 2020. This brand sells products via its online platform. The brand focuses on sustainability concepts such as upcycling, reusing, and zero waste. It creates unique products at affordable prices by prioritizing environmentally friendly practices in the entire production process.
Limited editions are the focus of the brand, not mass production. The brand targets 18-to 27-year-olds who are committed to the preservation of mother nature, care about sustainability and quality, and are socially responsible. The product categories include menswear and womenswear, as well as homewares, accessories, and clothing made from scraps.
Zero-waste models minimize or eliminate waste from the very beginning of garment design. Zero-waste may not be possible in practice, but it is always possible to reduce waste. The brand makes use of every scrap and end bit of fabric in order to come up with new, innovative designs. It believes in responsible sourcing and uses old fabric, factory rejects, or materials with defects from the market to create unique designs. Even fabrics with minor defects are used to repair the damage or remove it.
Many factories discarded many products due to the COVID-19 pandemic that triggered a lockdown in 2013. Brands used the unwanted products as a way to create new products by removing defective parts or re-patterning them. The leftover materials are used to make accessories like bags, earrings and belts. They can also be used to fill cushions and mattresses. By producing button belts, the brand significantly reduced its use of metals and leather.
To reduce fabric waste, the brand created generalized fit patterns that a wide range of consumers could wear. However, not all consumers prefer relaxed or boxy-fitting garments. This was a big challenge for the brand.
Many factors contribute to the cost of sustainable fashion being higher than fast fashion. These include using eco-friendly products and paying workers a fair wage, ethical sourcing, transparency, etc. In a country such as India, it is difficult for sustainable brands to offer affordable products to the masses. The brand focuses on affordable, sustainable products, taking affordability as its key parameter. Prices range from Rs500 up to Rs3500. The focus is not on overproduction but rather on making “just enough” to sell each product with minimal waste. Design is not as important as the process. Let’s Save As aims to promote a sustainable lifestyle by producing products that are in line with the current trends.
The brand emphasizes ethical working conditions. It ensures that the clothes it produces are environmentally friendly and people-friendly. This is done by giving workers a choice of time slots to complete specific tasks before the deadline. It hires freelancers or part-time workers. It is a slow fashion brand, so there is no need to pressure the workers into working within a certain time frame.
Let’s Save As, a small sustainable fashion brand in India, works ethically and adds value to the social and environmental benefits. These brands are helping to reduce carbon footprints while also benefiting the workers and creating unique and sustainable products.
