#NAINAxStyle Edition 110 with DHURI #MadeInIndia

Sustainable Fashion

Someone wore Dhuri and posted a picture on their Instagram. The person is beautiful and the photograph was lovely and Dhuri’s garments are beautiful. One of the comments below that image read something on the lines of, “Why is sustainable fashion so expensive?”

In my opinion, what we should be asking, instead, is, “Why is fast fashion so cheap?”

Fast fashion is cheap because the people who make those garments barely survive on the wages they earn. Sustainable fashion is how much clothes cost if you want artisans to lead a decent life.

It take time and effort to produce sustainable fashion. The textile needs to be sourced or created from scratch. The dyes need to be created. Patterns for the garments need to be researched, prototypes need to be developed and finally, after many months, a garment can be put in front of a consumer for actual purchase. If you invest in sustainable fashion, the pieces you buy last you a lifetime. As it should be. The more you wear a piece, the more beautiful it gets.

So. Sustainable fashion is not expensive. Fast fashion is cheap and we’re used to paying Rs. 400 for a t-shirt that doesn’t last one wash-cycle. We pay small amounts multiple times and think that fast-fashion is “cheap”. Investing in a piece from a sustainable label, if you calculate from the point of view of “rate per wear”, is a whole lot cheaper.

The Garments I’m Wearing

Below, I’m wearing Dhuri’s Gold Spectral crop top, which has been hand-crafted from handloom Chanderi. What adds to the beauty of the garment are the red & green slubs and the gorgeous Zari incorporated in the fabric in a check pattern. I’m wearing this top after hand-washing it and ironing it. It already feels like home. ( I sweat a lot, so the under arm area tends to bleed green. Went away with a light soap and hand-washing. ) The button detail at the back is another highlight of this garment. For daily-wear, I’ve stuck three safety pins in the spaces between the buttons so that they don’t pop open when I drive my car while wearing this top. If you have a slender frame, you should not have this issue. The top also has a thick lining.

Same with the trouser. Washed in the washing machine and then ironed. I’m wearing Blue Zephyr Pants that are made from 100% Soya fiber. The pants crease easily, and are super airy and comfortable to wear – a zip and hook closure at the waist. The trousers have a lining.

The jacket is called the Sepia Noon Jacket, made of tea-washed flax. I enjoy the green edges and the print of this jacket. Feels like a slightly more structured and comfortable linen.

More about Dhuri’s Materials

Dhuri works with a wide spectrum of fabrics, ranging from Handloom to the latest organics like, Ingeo (corn fibre), Tencel (Eucalyptus Fibre), Soya protein fibre, Bamboo fibre and banana fibre. They are also experimenting with eco and organic dyes, ie. extracting pigment from flowers, fruits ,vegetables, seeds etc. All the dyes used are azo-free.

Madhurima Singh, the designer behind the label, has worked with Sabyasachi and Shahi Exports after graduating from NIFT Bombay.

Additional Credits : photographs by Akanksha Redhu, post-production by me; Promise bracelet by Nimai; ear rings no clue where I got those from; footwear Fizzy Goblet.

Dhuri For Daily Wear

All the Dhuri pieces that the brand kindly sent to me, I wore mostly in a mix and match fashion. The Satin Linen Anthurium top with denims for a beer launch party, the Spectral Crop top with white cotton trousers for a luxury watch brand introduction afternoon, the Sabz cape with an American Apparel cotton dress for a crypto-currency party at the Taj ManSingh and the Sepia Noon jacket over a white shirt and white linen trousers for a lounge evening before a movie screening.

Unable to recall how I stumbled across Dhuri but I am glad I did. I love supporting local #MadeInIndia labels that produce quality work with attention to detail and fantastic customer support.