In recent years, the Lakme Fashion Week, for both its Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter weeks, dedicates a whole day for sustainable fashion.
And startups like Aslee are contributing towards this lifestyle with products made from bamboo, hemp and native nettle fabrics.
After their ongoing pop-up at Blue Tokai Coffee café, Safdarjung Enclave, ends today, they will travel throughout India to generate awareness about sustainable options.
Nitij Singh, who co-founded the organisation with Zoya Wahi, says the idea behind it is to support communities who are producing these products, and second is to promote how sustainable fabric is good for the environment.
The duo began the initiative two years ago when they happened to be in Nepal when the country was hit by an earthquake.
“We wanted to do something for the communities that were affected by the earthquake. Also, the conversation on climate change was getting more intense and thus acted as catalyst,” says Singh.
As they brainstormed and researched more about the issue, they discovered that textile was the second most polluting industry in the world.
“We started looking for sustainable fabrics produced in this region and ways to better their market access. From the first stage of production to the packaging, the products are monitored and kept completely sustainable in nature.”
They employ around ten people – four in India, two in Nepal (who look after the sourcing the raw materials), vendors and packaging consultants.
With a floating office in Delhi and storage space in Gurugram, they have started producing fashion staples.
“Right now, we have T-shirts made from hemp and bamboo, socks from 70 per cent bamboo that keeps it anti-bacterial and moisture absorbent. Hemp is a great insulator as it stays cooler in summer and warmer in winters, which is perfect for Delhi’s weather. We also use Himalayan native nettle, a plant found in certain regions of Indian and Nepal to make scarves,” says Singh, adding they are further working on mixing fabrics to make more products.