Wedding, nah, shaadi season in India is approaching. This means, the quest for lehengas, sarees, and gowns is on! What will you wear to your bestie’s big day? Or is it mere brother ki dulhan that we shall hear in the background?
Regardless, you must look fab. Yet, if you are here, then that means you are an eco-girlie like me. Aka you don’t want the planet or garment workers to pay the price for your beauty.
Well, I got you, girl. How do I know just the stores to hit for a dazzling eco-friendly and fair-trade wedding shopping experience? I got married this July.
While I got my glam on, mostly without buying new or thrifting…here are some slow fashion or susty brands, for when you must shop new.
Ogaan and Perina’s Pop-up
Looking for a store that has a huge collection of vegan and non-vegan outfits? Including Indian traditional outfits from various designers, that it claims are sustainable? You can check out Ogaan and Perina’s Pop-up. While I would say the linen and vegan silk ranges are limited, there’s a chance you’ll find something that works.
Though yes, they are a little on the pricer side, which is why we have a slightly more affordable alternative in….
Manyavar
If you want to be a dazzling bride, like me, Manyavar is the place to be. You’ll get value for your money here. Plus, it is SCCI certified in terms of being fair-trade. Same goes for sustainable sourcing.
Sure, it’s model is very close to fast-fashion and we can never be sure if it is as fair-trade or ethically sourced as it claims to be. Yet, if you are willing to trust certifications, this is a worthy gamble. Especially if we intend to reuse the items we get, which why wouldn’t we?
If you wish to go even more budget-friendly and are willing to skip lehengas, and trust me I love this brand, you can go to…
Fab India
Fab India is a great sustainable option for sarees, suits, and Indian dresses. Sure, one can question how susty it is given how closely it’s modle resembles that of fast-fashion companies. There’s also the craftswashing it has been accused of to look out for. Yet, FabIndia claims to support artisans, and has some great linen and organic collections.
Now, onto, a store which has outfits that look like a dream…
Elahe
When I visited Elahe, I was astounded by the sheer beauty of their collection, especially in terms of bridal and bridesmaid lehengas. One of their pieces is the best for a bride who wants a wedding gown look with her lehenga. I felt like princess when I tried it on.
Yet, the price point was no joke, and not everything in the collection was vegan. But boy oh boy, that collection. Not only does the store claim to be sustainable, Elahe also boosts designs straight from the designers themselves.
If you wish to support more designers first-hand and small businesses too, the next brand is perfect for you. Even if it’s pricey.
Known Unknown Clothing
Pune-based boutique, Known-Unknown Clothing is known for handcrafted, vegan, and sustainable handcrafted clothing, which ranges from lehengas; gowns; and suits to western wear.
Sure, some may call it high-end or even expensive. But in exchange of that you are supporting local businesses, sustainability, and making a stand for the animals with this vegan designer boutique.
The Loom
One of the options I looked at for my wedding, The Loom has a great range of clothing, especially lehengas that WedMeGood claims is sustainable. Yet, most fits didn’t suit my mum’s taste, especially given the price-point. Plus, not all items are vegan but if you are a modern girlie who likes minimalist yet Rajasthani styles, you should definitely check out The Loom.
But say, you want something more modern. Like outfits inspired by Alia Bhatt’s Met-Gala saree.
GCS Vegan Clothing
If you have gone plant-based, you are unlikely to buy silk lehengas. Yet, many artisans and aunties will say that a cotton lehenga just doesn’t look good. This is where GCS comes to the rescue. While some may call it a little expensive, the recommendations from figures like Manshi Shah of Gift Green India assure us that this is a good fit for indo-western dresses, lehengas, and more. They also have a variety of plant-based and cruelty-free fabrics like lab-made Tussar silk, plant-based velvet, and for my Bengali-fashion loving fem-presenters Banarasi fabric lagenas. Though, I know you want a proper Banarasi saree.
And where better to turn than to SUTA- a brand owned by two Bengali women?
SUTA
While both my mom and mother-in-law have called this brand expensive, SUTA is a good option for those looking for sarees and blouses. SUTA gets some extra points because it on Relove, and other imperfectly sustainable e-commerce stores like Brown Living India. Now they aren’t fully vegan but for a brand that carries sarees, blouses, basic lehengas, ethnic men’s wear, and kurtas, you can definitely give them a shot.
My favourite? Their linen sarees.
Now see, the top-tier for sustainable clothing is House of Anita Dongre and I love their collection, especially their vegan options. But if you want something simpler, you can look at the last brand of our list.
Okhai
Again, is it as cheap as what you’ll get in a local store? No. But Okhai comes close and it is fair-trade, artisan supported, and sustainable ethnic clothing. From cord-sets to suits, you will find it all here…except lehengas. Personally, if I bought a new Haldi fit, this brand would be it. Especially, since they have partnered with ReLove for their factory discards, giving us yet another new and sustainable option.
So, what say bestie? Ready to rock that shaadi? Are you using something old you had? Or buying from one of these stores? Let me know in the comments, while I compile a list of sustainable shoe brands for you next week!
P.S.- Here’s a pro-tip to be extra susty.
Buy directly from artisans
If you want to support sustainable development in India, then fair-trade, rural artisans are the way to go, especially with susty fabrics. Pro-tip, see if you can thrift the fabric or get it as a hand-me-down. And there’s nothing more Bollywood these days than upcycling your fabric.
The best part of supporting local artisans is that it keeps our traditional crafts like chickenkari work alive. Plys, these are evergreen dresses, which means an unlimited amount of swapping and upcycling can be done, even if you don’t want to reuse…but girl, trust me, you will reuse these. If Alia Bhatt can re-wear her mehendi lehenga, so can we! It’s trending after all.
Plus, artisan made clothing is often just too beautiful not to be mixed with other items and restyled for another occasion. And who doesn’t get joy from watching aunties fan themselves because you repeated an outfit?
Want more innovative no buy or at least not buying new from scratch solutions? Stay tuned for the next blog in our Shaadi Series- No Buy or No-New Solutions to Walk the Aisle as a Bridesmaid. (Name subject to change.)
Author’s Note: Hopefully this helped! Now go rock that wedding and if you want more sustainable fashion and lifestyle content, subscribe to Anjali Roongta’s YouTube.
