10 Indian organic clothing brands that you should be proud of wearing

Wear brands that are 'Made in India'

Industry feels the concept of 'Make in India' is the right direction to take, to make India the powerhouse that it can be. But for the initiative to be a success, issues of tax benefits, single window clearances, heavy duties on imports, imparting of skill-based training to the labour force and development of infrastructure need to be sorted out first. Mannish Almadi Midha spoke to head honchos of some Indian brands and upcoming fashion designers for their take on the initiative. - 

Quoting one of the brands, “To save the planet one has to either fly to moon, become super hero chemically, kill all the terrorists, or just go organic.”

Organic clothing is not just for high end clientèle, but for everyone who recognises the need of sustainability, and appreciates the fact that eco-friendly clothing is best for the skin. Here are ten brands that offer a wide range of organic clothing from chic, trendy fashion to colorful ethnic, elegant sarees, to infant clothing. Read what separates each brand from the rest, gathering their fibre from trails that include the deserts of Rajasthan, to green lands of Kabini, to bring fashion that is ethical and suits everyone’s palate.

1) Indigreen

Who thought eco-friendly apparel can find its soul mate in Bollywood? Well, Indigreen is just that – an elegant couture of Bollywood going green. Their products are 100% eco-friendly, made out of organic cotton, bamboo fabric and hand woven organic khadhi, with high-quality, non toxic and environment friendly colours. The company itself is ethical with promise of fair wages to the painting artists.

A venture started by ex TV Fashion & Lifestyle journalist Nidhi Singh and entrepreneur Gaurav G, certainly announces its uniqueness and variety. But what sets this brand apart from other in the sustainable fashion market is how they encourage people to tread the path of green. You donate your indigreen product to anyone needy and you get a discount on next purchase, get your wacky brain cracking for creative ways of recycling or frame one of their art picture , bam! discount on your next offer.

2) No nasties

A fashion brand that set out in the market with a mission; a strong moral and value system for Fair trade – “No genetically modified seeds, no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, no carcinogens, no high-interest loans, no child labour, no price exploitation, no suicides!”

Providing the customers not just variety in t-shirts but also sending a message of awareness that one simply can’t ignore without altering their styles or fashion taste. No-Nasties has range of interesting t-shirts that are trendy, organic and are out there to spread their mission.

Quoting one of the brands, “To save the planet one has to either fly to moon, become super hero chemically, kill all the terrorists, or just go organic.”

Organic clothing is not just for high end clientèle, but for everyone who recognises the need of sustainability, and appreciates the fact that eco-friendly clothing is best for the skin. Here are ten brands that offer a wide range of organic clothing from chic, trendy fashion to colorful ethnic, elegant sarees, to infant clothing. Read what separates each brand from the rest, gathering their fibre from trails that include the deserts of Rajasthan, to green lands of Kabini, to bring fashion that is ethical and suits everyone’s palate.

1) Indigreen

Who thought eco-friendly apparel can find its soul mate in Bollywood? Well, Indigreen is just that – an elegant couture of Bollywood going green. Their products are 100% eco-friendly, made out of organic cotton, bamboo fabric and hand woven organic khadhi, with high-quality, non toxic and environment friendly colours. The company itself is ethical with promise of fair wages to the painting artists.

A venture started by ex TV Fashion & Lifestyle journalist Nidhi Singh and entrepreneur Gaurav G, certainly announces its uniqueness and variety. But what sets this brand apart from other in the sustainable fashion market is how they encourage people to tread the path of green. You donate your indigreen product to anyone needy and you get a discount on next purchase, get your wacky brain cracking for creative ways of recycling or frame one of their art picture , bam! discount on your next offer.

2) No nasties

A fashion brand that set out in the market with a mission; a strong moral and value system for Fair trade – “No genetically modified seeds, no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, no carcinogens, no high-interest loans, no child labour, no price exploitation, no suicides!”

Providing the customers not just variety in t-shirts but also sending a message of awareness that one simply can’t ignore without altering their styles or fashion taste. No-Nasties has range of interesting t-shirts that are trendy, organic and are out there to spread their mission.

In their own words, “Grown from organic seeds sans genetic modification on farms where synthetic pesticides have no room, by hands that haven’t been stretched too thin, and processed at a factory that is governed by fair trade norms, a No Nasties t-shirt is our way of showing the love.” Go green and spread the message, as they believe one t-shirt you buy today will create a movement and others will join in soon.

3) Forty Red Bangles

Born out of the divine concept of marriage, this brand stands  true to its name. Cultural, ethnic couture that is sustainable and plain elegant. The name is inspired by its creator, Ramona Saboo’s forty red wedding bangles, with a vision of creating beautiful designs that find their roots in traditional organic sources.

As impressive as her idea is the brand’s association with many community partners like Gramshree, an organisation that is powered from the creative hands of women artisans from Gujarat, Sambhali trust, an NGO that is weaving Jodhpuri women to empowerment, and Aura Herbal Textiles Ltd., an innovative organisation involved in process of producing herbal textiles and dyes. The collections are not limited to women but offer range of apparel for men and children.

4) Samtana

Quite unique, like its name (which means Mindstream), is the idea of the brand. Like their unconventional designs and weaves is their journey. Collaborating with artists across the world for what they call “wearable art”, Samtana offers a wide range of organic t-shirts to choose from.

As if this wasn’t path-breaking enough, Bharath and Ben, founders of Samtana, took it a notch forward by extending their cotton source from organic farming co-operatives in South India. Interesting, funky art on tees and what’s more – it’s affordable!

5) Tvach

A global apparel brand creating organic and skin friendly fabrics that are made out of Natural dyes, Organic Fabric with designs that are pristine and modern.  The fabric made from organic cotton, silk, bamboo organic as well with goodness of turmeric, madder, pomegranate, myrablam, beetroot etc.

6) Anokhi

From the land that has always been domicile of adroit artisans, Anokhi is committed to its work and ethical morals, maintaining honest relationships with artists and providing them support to work from their homes in Jaipur. One of the oldest brands in market that is been creating and promoting organic fashion, Anokhi is an expert in block printing with vegetable colour dyes. Anokhi’s designs blend contemporary styles with bold striking graphics and colours.

7) UV & W

As their brand promotes, there are four ways to save our planet – fly to the moon, chemically transform into a superhero, eliminate all terrorists single handedly, or just buy organic clothing! The company belongs to the Venus Group from Ludhiana, Punjab and is the first in India to engage in the marketing of certified Organic cotton clothing.

They offer wide variety of clothing for men, women and kids, for all seasons. The line up is made out of Organic cotton, making the fabric skin-friendly as well. UV & W is one of the few brands that boasts of Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS) certification by the Control Union in Netherlands.

8) Bhu:sattva

Evolved from the ethics of non-violence, Bhu:sattva is as connected to the Earth as its name. With an idea to inculcate ethics and sustainability in the entire supply chain, and, thus, ensuring a Fair Trade Concept, Bhu:sattva started its journey with its core designing team and artisans, working together on the same platform. A Gujarat based organic clothing brand that makes use of fabric featuring natural fibres, they appeal to women and men, modern and cultural alike, with their wide variety and vibrant colours.

Fibres used in weaving these wonderful accoutre are hemp, bamboo, organic cotton and silk , soya bean, modal, aloe vera, banana, pineapple and milk protein fibre, flax, jute, khadi, etc., with colours oozing out of beetroot, pomegranate, henna, catechu, teak tree leaves, turmeric, madder red, kesu, haritaki, sewali flowers, indigo and more. Even the techniques utilised pay homage to the skilled artisans from ancient towns, through popular forms like hand embroidery, block printing and painting.

9) Do you speak Green

Do you speak Green is one of the few brands that is promoting bamboo clothing along with fusion and organic cotton,  GOTS certified factory of Do you speak Green weaves fibres to beautiful attires that are chic, trendy with wide range for men, women and kids.

Working with Fusion Clothing Co., who have been known to knit clothing from India for last 21 years, and in their own factory in Tirupur, which has been audited both socially and technically, organic cotton collection goes a long way. What makes this brand even more stunning is their line of bamboo clothing. Their products can be purchased on all major shopping websites like Flipkart, Naaptol, Junglee, Jabong, etc.

10) Ethicus

With a collection of cultural and vibrant saris and women garbs, Ethics is an interesting brand that uses Apache Organic Cotton and Ahimsa Silk  producing beautiful sarees, stoles and duplicates. Home to many animals, Ethicus has its cotton trails cutting cross Kabini Elephant Corridor and Annamalai Tiger Reserve, empowering weavers from the beautiful lands to cultivate cotton in harmony with surrounding nature allowing them to grow cotton in traditional ways avoiding pesticides and harmful chemicals.

The brand also runs a program to educate these farmers of sustainable techniques of growing high-quality cotton at large volumes. Apart from owning their elegant sarees, next time you decide take trip  to God’s Own Country, you can take a stroll through their beautiful cotton trails.