Green, the new black

Organic clothing is one thing which is brought in by brands of every size. Brand like Madura Garments recently launched its new organic range for its brands Van Heusen and Arrow. Sports brands are not behind either. Brands like Nike and Timberland have started using organic fabrics in their sports wear. Also, international designers like Katherine Hamnett and Stella McCartney use organic cotton in their designer outfits. Levis is about to launch its organic line for male and female denims called Levis- Eco in India, which is already present in the US market. New bees like Bangalore based Zeme Organics and Ludhiana based UV&W are also retailing organic clothes through their exclusive brand outlets as well as multi-brand outlets, across India.

Despite the growing concern of saving the environment and increasing inventiveness by big brands we don’t see changes in the buying behaviour of the consumer. Let’s discuss why should we go green?

Helping the Environment

Saving the planet sure takes a lot of work. Firstly, the raw material is harvested, then taken to the factory for processing, then it is woven into fabric and sent to the manufacturer for the final drafting of the clothes.

“Organic clothing has important environmental benefits. By not using synthetic fertilizers but natural dyes, we reduce the pollution of ground water and promote biodiversity. In organic agriculture, by using a balanced amount of insects, we trap carbon in the soil, which naturally takes out pest from the cotton without using any external chemicals”, describes Ms Aarti Nagaraja, Managing Director, Zeme Organics Pvt. Ltd.

This process of manufacturing cloth has many advantages to it. It requires no chemicals so no chemical residue enters the soil, which helps in preventing soil erosion. No living body is exposed to any chemicals, which are harmful for skin. Also, when you want to get away with the clothes, you can put them to recycle, which helps earth by avoiding cultivation of all that cotton.

“The organic collection is made of all-natural, non-synthetic materials.The materials for the garments come from plants that have not been radiated, genetically modified or treated with synthetic or chemical pesticides. Our brand uses eco friendly mechanisms as much as possible. For the range like Kalamkari (where vegetarian dyes are used; Aloe Vera that has special effects on skin etc. has been used in such ranges) organic cotton happens to be natural fit with the brand and to the environment”, adds Ms Kanwalpreet Walia, Marketing Manager, Urban Yoga.

The Price Factor

Are organic clothes costlier than normal cotton clothes? Are they affordable? Are the consumers keen to buy them?

 “The dyes and yarns used in making organic cloths are costlier, moreover, we need to pay advance to the seller, as the buyers for the organic products are a very few. The inventory cost is more and also training the employees with respect to the organic products also weighs heavily on the pocket,” says Mr Rajiv Mishra, VP Marketing and Design, UV & W (Venus Garments)

But there is a solution to this story as well, consumers should realise that until and unless they don’t start buying organic clothes, how will its demand rise? They end up buying international brands worth thousands; organic clothes aren’t that expensive as well. With the rise in demand of organic clothes more manufacturing would happen and consecutive decrease in prices will be seen.

Upcoming Trends

Organic clothes were marked as uncomfortable and unappealing till recently, but now they are becoming a part of the fashion scene as many designers are coming out with eco friendly collection. The style range is lesser than that of normal cotton clothes but it is catching up as new designs and merchandise are being developed to keep pace with the rising demand for organic clothing. “Other countries have all kinds of merchandise like garments, home furnishing, and accessories etc. When there will be an increasing demand for organic products in India, the cost of the product will come down and the other merchandise in organic clothing will be introduced,” says Ms Nagaraja.

Marketing Strategy

The organic clothing market is a very raw one; it needs a huge push to reach the level of regular clothing market. The main reason behind this is less demand due to lack of awareness. Mr Mishra says, “The strategy here is of word-of-mouth. Organic clothing is less of a commodity and more of an idea or concept; it’s a revolution towards a better living. The whole concept should be promoted and not just a product. We need to endorse that the best way to live is to go organic. This will in turn increase the customer base.”

If a company is manufacturing organic clothing it’s always a certified one from the Global Organic Textile Standard, which in future makes organic clothing a more credible business opportunity.

As the awareness about saving the environment will increase among the consumers the demand for organic clothes/products will increase in the market. Organic clothing is not only a lucrative business opportunity but a way to do your bit for the environment; with huge benefits and tremendous potential organic clothing surely is a world saving idea!