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SPOTLIGHT
GENERATION
GRETA
She’s just turned 17 and she’s done in two years
what most adults haven’t in a lifetime—she’s
headlining a global revolution to save our planet
GRETA THUNBERG
CLIMATE CHANGE ACTIVIST AND STUDENT
“I’m here to change the way we look at the climate and ecological crisis, so that together we
can put pressure on people in power to change things. This year, we have mobilised millions of
young people around the world who have been ‘school-striking’ for the right to a future. There
have been strikes on all continents, including Antarctica, which is incredible, and in more than
165 countries. We, together, are changing the debate. Right now, it’s school holidays, but the
climate crisis doesn’t go on holiday, so neither will we. To my critics I say, ‘Spend your time
doing something else, because this isn’t going to lead anywhere—you’re not going to achieve
GETTY IMAGES anything. Why don’t you try to make a difference instead?’” >
EDITED BY SHAHNAZ SIGANPORIA www.vogue.in VOGUE INDIA JANUARY 2020 111
LEAH NAMUGERWA
15, UGANDA
“If adults are not willing to take
leadership, I and fellow children will
lead them. Why should I watch on as
environmental injustices happen before
my eyes?” said Leah Namugerwa last
year, when she addressed the Rwandan
capital Kigali. In 2018, she heard about
Greta Thunberg’s protest and soon
came to a few realisations of her own.
For one, lives were being claimed by
landslides and hunger due to drought
in Uganda, and both relayed back to
climate change. So she protested on
a Friday near the Kampala suburb she
lives in. A group of teens joined in
and they began to lead the Fridays for
Future strikes in Uganda. Next came
planting 200 trees on her 15th birthday
and demanding that President Yoweri
Kaguta Museveni’s government ban
plastic bags (#BanPlasticUG).
THE NEW AVENGERS
They were born into a world of melting ice caps and polarised politics, but
they know how to spark a revolution with a hashtag and they’re fixing a world
we broke. Meet Gen-Z’s climate change activists. By ShahnazSiganporia
NADIA NAZAR
17, USA
“I try to be positive when thinking about the future of the planet. It looks sustainable and
inclusive—everyone living cohesively together... And this is why I am a part of the generation COURTESY MARTINA ORSKA; GETTY IMAGES; SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
of the Green New Deal,” says Nadia Nazar, founder, co-executive director and art director of
Zero Hour, an intersectional movement of youth activists fighting for a healthy planet. Nazar
started at the age of 12. Now 17 years old, she’s one of the veterans of the youth movement.
Her activism began with her love for animals and wanting to promote vegetarianism:
“Learning that the climate crisis is causing the extinction of so many innocent species woke me
up to climate change,” she says. Today she’s busy mobilising climate voters for the 2020 US
Election and working with other Youth Climate groups to organise Earth Day 50 in April.
112 VOGUE INDIA JANUARY 2020www.vogue.in
view
JEAN HINCHLIFFE
, AUSTRALIA
Jean Hinchli e, founder and lead organiser
of School Strike for Climate in Sydney and
the sustainability director of Operation
Period, credits the UN Report that gave
us a 12-year deadline to avert the worst
impacts of the climate crisis as the tipping
point that sparked her generation to take
charge. “Seeing my government’s inaction
on the climate crisis (I had watched them
push back the emissions and reductions
targets while continuing to actively support
and fund new coal mines) motivated me
to act.” Hinchli e has gone on to lead
one of the largest mass demonstrations in
Australian history—this past September,
3,50,000 people gathered to protest.
RIDHIMA PANDEY
, INDIA
At age nine, she fi led a complaint against the Indian Government with the
National Green Tribunal. Her petition was dismissed, but Ridhima Pandey’s work
had only just begun. “I was scared by the devastation of climate change (the
Uttarakhand fl oods, rising pollution levels, and so on). Our politicians keep playing
the blame game. Look at the Delhi air pollution crisis. Haryana blames Delhi and
Delhi blames Haryana, but nobody is taking responsibility. The only way to create
change is to do it yourself, so I became responsible.” She’s keeping her word—last
year, she and 15 other youth activists fi led a UN Human Rights complaint on
climate change, against fi ve countries. As discussions proceed, so does her fi ght.
HELENA GUALINGA
, ECUADOR
“Indigenous people protect more
than 80 per cent of the world’s
biodiversity. Ensuring their rights and
their rights to land would make sure
that our forests stay untouched and
fossil fuels are kept underground,”
says Helena Gualinga. The Amazon
is her home, where she grew up
in a community “fi ghting big oil”,
and is one of the leading advocates
for climate justice and a voice for
indigenous people in the region. ■
www.vogue.in VOGUE INDIA JANUARY 113
PAMELA MALHOTRA, 67
FORESTER AND CO-FOUNDER
OF SAI SANCTUARY, KODAGU
DISTRICT, INDIA
In 1991, Pamela Malhotra and her
husband AK Malhotra acquired 55
acres of land in the South Kodagu
district of Karnataka to set up the SAI
(Save Animals Initiative) Sanctuary, one
of India’s first private reserves. Now,
spread over 300 acres, it is teeming with
flora, fauna and endangered species
like the Malabar giant squirrel, king
cobra and the Bengal tiger. She has
now created a multipronged strategy
that has, at its core, an ecosystems
services programme, where instead
of paying the locals cash, they barter
services that provide them with training
in organic farming, supply them with
honeybee boxes and promote native-
tree nurseries. “Organic farming makes
more economic sense and it’s better for
the soil, for water conservation and for
promoting native trees,” she explains.
“The bee boxes prevent crop-raiding by
animals, especially elephants, who are
terrified of bees, ultimately preventing
man-animal conflict while providing
an income from honey and pollinators
for crops. By raising saplings of local
trees, they can sell them to the forest
department, government, individual
landholders and businesses, who can
then plant them to bring back denuded
forests.” It’s a chain of interconnected
activities. – Shalini Shah
FOCUS
FORCESOFNATURE
S’well bottle, bamboo toothbrush, cloth tote? Check. But being a true eco-
warrior goes beyond the VSCO girl starter kit. It takes science, empathy, hard
work and perseverance to be a change-maker. Meet the women showing us how
GETTY IMAGES
it’s done. By Neeti Mehra and Shalini Shah
114 VOGUE INDIA JANUARY 2020www.vogue.in
view
SUNITA NARAIN, 58
ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST, DIRECTOR GENERAL OF CENTRE FOR SCIENCE AND
ENVIRONMENT (CSE) AND EDITOR OF DOWN TO EARTH, DELHI, INDIA
She’s a Padma Shri awardee, one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, has starred in
Leonardo DiCaprio’s documentary Before The Flood and is undoubtedly the pioneer of climate
justice as the foremost environmentalist in India. “We have a duty to hope,” says Sunita Narain,
who has been tirelessly fighting climate change for over three decades. She has moulded CSE
(where she’s worked since 1982) into the country’s leading environmental think tank, directly
influencing policy and public opinion. Under her directorship, it has been awarded the Stockholm
Water Prize (considered the Water Nobel) for its work on rainwater harvesting. Narain is a rare
leader who cuts through the politics and attacks the heart of the issue. “Urban India is falling
apart at the seams,” she says, citing an example of the air pollution that has spun out of control
and rattled north India. According to her, India stands at an inflection point: “The next five years
are crucial. The world will either become more climate-risked and insecure, or we will bend the
curve and move towards an inclusive and sustainable future.” This eternal optimist, though,
envisions the transformation of India through participatory democracy and knowledge-based
activism: “To be sustainable, growth must be affordable, inclusive and equitable.” – Neeti Mehra
PRATHIMA MUNIYAPPA, 31
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCHER, MIT MEDIA LAB, CAMBRIDGE, USA
“Burnt soot rain”, “rain that kisses the leaf”, “the rain that makes elephants shiver”… Prathima Muniyappa lists a few of the 27 phrases used by
the indigenous Soliga tribe, living in the Biligiri Ranga hills of the Western Ghats, when they describe rain. Their language is symbiotic with
their natural habitat, “Cultures like the Soligas’ are the last bastions of biodiversity in an increasingly homogenised world. True biodiversity
has historically flourished under the guardianship of indigenous peoples (who are among the world’s most vulnerable). There are more than
40 crore self-identified peoples across 70 countries whose traditional lands guard over 80 per cent of the planet’s biodiversity.” Muniyappa
is on a mission. “I use space-based technologies (such as earth observation, microgravity, and systems engineering) to address issues of
social justice.” Before working with MIT, this Fulbright Scholar completed a master’s in design studies in critical conservation at Harvard. Her
multidisciplinary approach presents alternative indigenous solutions. “All’s not lost,” she insists, “we just need to regain our fluency in earth.”
And she’s figuring out how. – NM >
www.vogue.in VOGUE INDIA JANUARY 2020 115
DIA MIRZA, 38
ACTOR, PRODUCER,
UN ENVIRONMENT
GOODWILLAMBASSADOR
AND ADVOCATE
FOR SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT GOALS,
MUMBAI, INDIA
“I want every citizen of this
planet to understand that we
belong to each other, and we are
all one,” says Dia Mirza, voicing
Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the
Sanskrit shloka that means
the world is one family. The
UN Environment Goodwill
Ambassador and the UN
Sustainable Development
Goals Advocate of India states,
“You instinctively understand
that you are a part of nature.”
Crowned Miss Asia Pacific
when she was just 18, Mirza
has worked as a model, actor
and producer. But 16 years ago,
seeing environmental issues
so neglected by mainstream
media, she decided to reach
out to activists Bittu Sahgal and
Vivek Menon to help bring it
into public consciousness. A
regular face at beach clean-ups
in Mumbai, she has championed
the #BeatPlasticPollution
campaign and was the
Ambassador for Swachh
Bharat Mission’s Swachh Saathi
programme. The next decade
will see her more involved
with the delivery of the UN’s
Sustainable Development
Goals. “I believe that humanity
is going to witness a remarkable
shift in the way we live and
consume,” she says – NM
RADHIKA KHANDELWAL, 31
CHEF AND OWNER, RADISH HOSPITALITY, DELHI, INDIA
She serves exquisite farm-to-fork menus at her restaurants Fig & Maple and Ivy &
Bean in Delhi and whips up veggie meals for Jamie Oliver’s new series, Meat-free
Meals. Radhika Khandelwal is the eco-warrior chef championing zero-waste, local
and seasonal produce and agrarian biodiversity, while simultaneously advocating for
multiple United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (in and out of her kitchen).
She represents India at Chefs’ Manifesto, a global community of chefs that works
to create a sustainable food system, and is actively involved in the World Economic BIKRAMJIT BOSE; COURTESY ROLEX/ MARC SHOUL
Forum’s Scaling Up Nutrition movement. For the next decade, her goals include
“promoting gut-friendly foods and drinks, ancient grains, new and improved zero-waste
methods, plant-based diets and food foraging.” Says Khandelwal, “As a society, we have
a chance to make a positive difference for ourselves and the environment.” – NM
116 VOGUE INDIA JANUARY 2020www.vogue.in
view
KRITHI KARANTH, 40
CONSERVATION BIOLOGIST
AND EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF CENTRE FOR
WILDLIFE STUDIES (CWS),
BENGALURU, INDIA
By next month, Wild Shaale (the
conservation education programme
launched by the CWS in Bengaluru
in August 2019) will reach almost
40,000 students and 400 schools on
the fringes of conservation parks in
Maharashtra and Karnataka. Krithi SAHAR MANSOOR, 28
Karanth informs, “It’s a four-part ZERO-WASTE ADVOCATE,
programme where we spend a month FOUNDER OF BARE NECESSITIES,
in every school, with three main BENGALURU, INDIA
goals: to create interest in wildlife, to
build empathy in children for nature Sahar Mansoor is the kind of zero-waster
and wild places, and to give them whose annual non-recyclable waste can
safety and coping mechanisms in be stuffed into a single mason jar. But
case there is a conflict situation.” that’s not all. She distilled her millennial
Over the past two decades in the eco-anxiety with Indian traditions and
field, this Vogue Women Of The created Bare Necessities in 2016—a zero-
Year 2017 winner witnessed a shift waste personal care brand while building
from theory to practice. “I started awareness on waste-free living. Having
my career as a scientist, so the initial lost her father early and been raised by her
emphasis was about doing good mum, she overcame learning disabilities
research, collecting lots of data and and naysayers, studying environmental
publishing papers on topics around law, policy and environmental economics
man and animal conflict,” she says. at Cambridge. Inspired by zero-wasters
“It was during the next decade that Bea Johnson and Amy Korst, she scoured
I became interested in the impact their blogs before blending local traditions
of the research and how we could to cleave together her own philosophy.
use that to change ground reality. Her focus is to now take Bare Necessities
Whether human-wildlife conflict or beyond India’s boundaries while reaching
wildlife tourism, we try to see how new audiences back home. She believes
we can involve people and solve that we need “a circular economy where
issues, rather than document the resources are valued, rather than having
problems and stop at that. Now, products end up in our landfills, rivers and
research projects either have a policy oceans. We need to do this for all life, and
outcome, or intervene directly.” – SS we must do it together.” – NM >
www.vogue.in VOGUE INDIA JANUARY 2020 117
ARATI KUMAR-RAO
ENVIRONMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHER AND WRITER, BENGALURU, INDIA
National Geographic explorer Arati Kumar-Rao documents the gradual onslaught of environmental
degradation with a reporter’s eye and a poet’s sensitivity, whether she’s capturing the effect of the
Farakka Barrage in West Bengal or compiling the traditional lexicon used by the tribes of the Thar
desert. “I grew up privy to debates between my father and uncles on the merits and demerits of
large dams and their impacts on lives and rivers. Those interactions burned themselves deep into
my psyche. One day, through the febrile stupor of typhoid, I decided to quit my corporate job
and plunge headlong into my first love—the urge to tell environmental stories,” she recalls. On the
purpose of her work, she says, “The kind of documentation I do is neither spectacular nor explosive.
The ‘slow’ violence inflicted on communities by environmental degradation and climate change
could take years to manifest, and remains largely invisible and under-reported. Figuring out how to
attract the attention of the masses, or even the powers that be, to these quieter yet deadly issues so
that those mistakes are not repeated, is my biggest challenge.” – SS
VARSHINI PRAKASH, 26
CO-FOUNDER SUNRISE
MOVEMENT, BOSTON, USA
The devastation of climate change
was something Varshini Prakash
grew up seeing in headlines and
hashtags. In 2017, she decided to do
something about it and launched
Sunrise Movement, with seven
other activists, looking to shift the
conversation around the environment
from denial and political posturing
to real, impactful, concrete action.
Her eye is on the Green New Deal,
a congressional resolution to tackle
climate change and economic
inequality. “The fight continues every
damn day till we get what we came
for and win a #GreenNewDeal.
A shout-out to building an army
of young people to make climate COURTESY RAHUL REKAPALLI; BRANDON STANCIELL; COURTESY SAIKAT DAS
change an urgent priority across
America, end the corrupting
influence of fossil fuel executives on
our politics and elect leaders who
stand up for the health and well-
being of all people,” Prakash sums up
her battle on Instagram, a ray of sun
in a sombre reality. – NM
118 VOGUE INDIA JANUARY 2020www.vogue.in
view
SONIA JABBAR
OWNER NUXALBARI TEA ESTATE, NAXALBARI, INDIA
In the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, people are wary of crop-raiding pachyderms
due to shrinking forest cover, but the Nuxalbari Tea Estate aims to be a safe space for
elephants. With its Hathi Sathi programme, Sonia Jabbar’s 1,200-acre tea estate has
received an Elephant Friendly Tea certification (a first in the country) from the Wildlife
Friendly Enterprise Network and the University of Montana. “We aim to raise the
consciousness of the residents here,” says Jabbar. This extends to about 2,500 people
who live on the estate (including 500 permanent workers and their families). There
are three principal aspects to this programme. “We actively protect the elephants. No
one is allowed to harass or tease them, even photographers aren’t allowed to get close.
Elephants like to be left alone, so we do that,” says Jabbar. There’s also a formalised
education programme for the children of the estate workers aiming to increase
awareness about environmental issues alongside a re-wilding programme that spans
over 100 acres. “Somehow, tea estates are monoculture, but I propagate a number of
native species to improve the biodiversity of our estate and provide a variety of plant
species for the elephants to feed on.” – SS
SHAGUN SINGH, 38
FOUNDER GEELI MITTI FARMS,
MAHRORA, INDIA
In Mahrora village, on the outskirts of
Nainital in Uttarakhand, little dwellings
that look like they’re right out of hobbit
land speckle the landscape. Geeli Mitti
Farms has become one of the leading
authorities on natural buildings in the
country, drawing architecture students
and enthusiasts from all over. But
that’s just one aspect of what it does.
Shagun Singh founded this collective
of 11 villages (that falls under the Naina
Devi Himalayan Bird Conservation
Reserve) after 10 years of MNC life. At
its demonstration permaculture farm,
Singh teaches you how to adapt these
practices to your home, whether it’s
a matchbox flat or a farmhouse. She
elaborates, “There are multiple versions
of every system that we demonstrate.
For example, there are three systems
of rainwater harvesting, four of sewage
management, three of composting, five
of grey-water recycling. People speak of
how one has to give up one’s urban life BAHAR DUTT, 44
and relocate to a rural area to practise ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALIST, DELHI, INDIA
sustainable living, but we want to show Few journalists in India have covered the environment as extensively, or
that it can be done anywhere.” – SS intensively, as Bahar Dutt, winner of the Wildscreen Award and the Ramnath
Goenka Award for environmental journalism. When we speak, she’s at
Sambhar lake in Rajasthan, reporting on the death of over 15,000 birds. “It is
tough because I had no support from any media house for this. I hired my own
camera person, reached the site and started reporting the story over Twitter
and Facebook. My posts soon went viral and I started getting requests from
the media on the story. We need more people willing to report facts from
ground zero,” she says. The environment, she says, is a political space. “You
could be reporting on climate change from the Arctic or on a tree chopped
in your neighbourhood, but if your stories don’t shake the system and make
it accountable, then it’s just birdsong. Writing about your moments of joy on
a safari is not ‘environmental reporting’. Someone needs to ask the tough
questions. Environmental stories need to be reported as political stories. Delhi
being the most polluted city in the world is not just an environment story, it’s a
political one,” says the former environment editor of CNN-News18. – SS n
www.vogue.in VOGUE INDIA JANUARY 2020 119
view
ART
THE BIGPICTURE
From a millennial-pink octopus declaring the climate crisis to the
indigenous concept of jugaad playing catalyst to conscious art, sustainability
is slowly becoming a clarion call for the art world. By Somak Ghoshal
The spectre of melting ice caps haunts sage of time. Then, he left these icy in- tor of IAF. The convergence of these PHOTO: TIERNEY GEARON. STYLING: ALEX HARRINGTON. HAIR: MUSTAFAYANAZ. MAKEUP: TERESA PEMBERTON. MANICURE: YUKO TSUCHIHASHI. MODELS: LIU WEN; GUINEVERE VAN SEENUS. TAILOR: HAILEY DESJARDINS;
apocalyptic visions of climate change. stallations to melt. He called the work, names from near and far isn’t acciden-
Most of us have seen such scenes in with a tongue-in-cheek literalism, tal. All over the world, art is now being
documentaries and photographs. We Ice Watch. invoked as a tool to jolt people into fac-
shuddered or nodded in despair, yet Eliasson is one of the star attrac- ing the perils of environmental dam-
quickly moved on. Imagine being am- tions at the upcoming India Art Fair age. In October 2019, a giant pink octo- COURTESY AADITI JOSHI AND TARQ COPYRIGHT AADITI JOSHI ; GETTY IMAGES
bushed by glacial chunks of ice one fi ne (IAF), being held in Delhi from Janu- pus was trailed along Whitehall,
day on the streets of the city you live ary 30 to February 2, 2020. “We will London, by Extinction Rebellion, a
in. That’s what Danish-Icelandic artist also feature works by contemporary global people-led movement that
Olafur Eliasson did last year. He trans- Indian artists such as Ravi Agarwal, wants governments to declare a ‘cli-
ported a dozen blocks of ice, weighing Atul Bhalla and Aaditi Joshi, who have mate and ecological emergency’. The
several tonnes, from Greenland to been at the forefront of the national demonstration was meant to grab at-
London and arranged them in the conversation on climate action and so- tention, and it did. But can such inter-
shape of a clock to allude to the pas- cial change,” says Jagdip Jagpal, direc- ventions go beyond a call for action?
120 VOGUE INDIA JANUARY www.vogue.in
bility to make earth-conscious art. The
country produces over 60 million
tonnes of waste every year, much of it
in the form of non-biodegradable plas-
tic. Given the ubiquity of plastic bot-
tles and bags, these objects have
SCOPE OF ART inevitably acted as the building blocks
“Art can show new directions,” says of signifi cant artistic projects.
Agarwal, who works with a variety of Between 2005 and 2008, Vivan
media, though his abiding focus is on Sundaram made an entire body of
photography. His current project is work using, and appropriately titling reer in Marseille, France, was drawn to
called The Desert Of The Anthropo- it, Trash. From empty bottles to bro- bricolage, a process of putting together
cene. “I am exploring the manner in ken pipes, he put every conceivable works using what Indians call ‘jugaad’.
which the desert, my ancestral home- residue of urban life to creative use. “When you work with whatever ma-
land, is being abandoned by humans Sundaram’s younger contemporary terial is available around you, you’re
but re-inhabited by new signposts of Aaditi Joshi gravitates towards upcy- taking part in an invitation to continue
global capital,” he says, explaining fur- cling plastic bags into installations, as a story, instead of starting with a blank
ther: “Industries such as mining, nu- does Manish Nai, who works with page,” he says. “I’m conscious about
clear testing sites, and urbanisation recyclable material—old clothes, news- not wasting my resources. I like the
are replacing more traditional aspects, papers and cardboard boxes—that are simplicity of my practice.” Segard, who
like food production, leading to the discarded every day. currently lives in Goa, has made ingen-
loss of human networks and ecological ious collages, where the jilted squalor
systems that were for long interde- LOOKING SIDEWAYS of life is harnessed into abstract shapes
pendent in the desert.” With major cit- For artists who use found objects— and structures. It’s as though he picks
ies choking with air pollution and either because they cannot afford up pieces of a broken dream and puts
coastlines sinking, expensive material or out of other com- them together into all-new shapes.
Indian artists have pulsions—India offers a rich playing A different kind of dreamscape is
an urgent responsi- fi eld. Julien Segard, who began his ca- palpable in Himali Singh Soin’s ongo-
ing (since 2017) project, We Are Oppo-
site Like That, based on her research in
the Arctic and Antarctic circles. Win-
ner of the London edition of the Frieze
Artist Award 2019, Soin creates hyp-
notic multidisciplinary works in which
poetry, performance, dance and music
come together seamlessly. Soin says
she “seeks to create fi ctional myths for
the two poles from the non-human
perspective of a melting fossil that has
witnessed the great shifts of epochs:
the ice”. The principal presence in her
otherwise barren settings is “an alien
fi gure, part cyborg, part vessel of some
ancient feminine knowledge”. The
scenario is meant to evoke dread and
premonition, rather than convey
obvious dire warnings.
“I don’t think climate change and
(Clockwise from the sustainability can be overt narratives
top:) Untitled (6),
(2018) by Aaditi Joshi; in art, but metaphors can make you
Extinction Rebellion’s feel things in oblique ways,” Soin con-
pink octopus (2019); cludes. “It is only an oblique approach
The Desert Of to the environmental crisis—one that
The Anthropocene
(2013-ongoing) by Ravi involves multiple disciplines and ways
Agarwal; Ice Watch by of knowing the world—that can help
Olafur Eliasson (2018) us understand the severity of the situ-
ation and the resilience of the earth
post human extinction.” ■
www.vogue.in VOGUE INDIAJANUARY 121
DEC
THE
FOR VOGUE
ART
• PEOPLE TO KNOW REPORT
• PLACES TO GO
• BOOKS TO READ TAKASHI
MURAKAMI,
BANKSY
MORE
MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE
view
BY THE BOOK
BOOKS
Five sparkling reads to have
on your cli-fi list
CAUTIONARY Gun Island by Amitav
TALES Random House, 2019)
Ghosh (Penguin
A quest to unravel the
legend of the enigmatic
Despite what the head-buried-in-increasingly-hot-sand Gun Merchant, the novel
features freaky weather,
deniers of climate change say, the future of our planet inexplicable forest fires,
is bleak. And whenever the world is a bewildering and Bengali folklore.
hot mess, hasn’t fiction helped make sense of it all? The Overstory by
Harsimran Gill tracks the rise of ‘cli-fi’ Richard Powers (William
Heinemann, 2018)
A novel about nine
Americans who are
In his book The Great Derangement story collection Florida (William brought together by their
(Penguin Random House, 2016), au- Heinemann, 2018) infuses an acute connection to trees, it won
thor Amitav Ghosh lamented fiction’s sense of climate anxiety in a landscape the 2019 Pulitzer Prize
lack of engagement with climate of panthers, snakes and cruel weather, for Fiction.
change, a crisis that “asks us to imag- while C Morgan Babst’s The Floating
ine other forms of human existence.” World (Algonquin Books, 2017), set A Cloud Called Bhura
And recently, authors and publishers after Hurricane Katrina, is a sensitive by Bijal Vachharajani
have stepped up to the task, with a pro- tale of loss. (Talking Cub, 2019)
liferation of recent ‘cli-fi’ books that Indian publishing, however, has not In this compelling and
tackle climate change head-on. The seen a similar surge, with just a hand- entertaining YA novel,
term was popularised by English ful of recent novels tackling the sub- Mumbai wakes up one
teacher Dan Bloom nearly a decade ject. But even as works of ecological morning to a poisonous
ago, but as a sub-genre of science fic- fiction like Shubhangi Swarup’s Lati- brown cloud spreading
across its skies.
tion, it has a long history—from Jules tudes Of Longing (HarperCollins
Verne’s 1889 novel, The Purchase Of India, 2018) emerge, publishers say
The North Pole that features climate the issue remains in the preserve of Ambiguity Machines: And
Other Stories by Vandana
change due to the shifting of the speculative fiction. Ghosh, however, Singh (Zubaan, 2018)
Earth’s axis, to Octavia Butler’s Para- thinks it’s only a matter of time. “As A deeply imagined
ble Of The Sower published in 1993, Margaret Atwood has said, the phrase collection of speculative
which holds a tinge of optimism for its ‘climate change’ is inadequate; what stories in a South Asian
characters plagued by global warming. we are confronting today is ‘everything setting that upturns all
Most of these, however, are set in change’,” he tells Vogue. Pointing to a stereotypes in looking at
far-off dystopian futures. Today, when study that predicts Mumbai might be the near future.
the perils of the climate crisis are im- underwater by 2050, Ghosh adds,
mediate, there’s no such luxury. Many “This reality is something that has to The History Of
titles in the new wave turn away from be confronted in everything that is Bees by Maja Lunde
the crystal ball to look at our present. written about Mumbai today, whether (Simon & Schuster,
2015)
This is exemplified by Richard Pow- it is a love story or an epic novel.” A dazzling novel that
ers’s The Overstory (William Heine- While we figure out how to avert this follows three generations
mann, 2018), an evocative novel about crisis, at least our bookshelves will be of beekeepers and
a last stand to save America’s grateful in the meantime, possibly imagines a world without
forests. Lauren Groff’s short holding out hope in the process. n these vital insects.
GETTY IMAGES
124 VOGUE INDIA JANUARY 2020www.vogue.in
view
VIEWPOINT
WHAT
SUSTAINSUS?
The climate emergency is real. Journalist and
activist Simran Sethi reminds us that protecting
our world is the only way ahead
ture of crops and thoughts that have
taken root. What have you dug up
and swallowed whole? Let this sorrow
burrow into you. Feel the ache in
your heart and the weight in your
bones. Do not turn away from this
heaviness. Grieve.
India and the world need support.
We are home to seven of the world’s 10
worst polluted cities, giving us the du-
bious distinction of being the planet’s
most polluted country. Recent mon-
soon rains swelled to the highest levels
in a quarter century, while months
earlier groundwater and lakes suc-
cumbed to drought that impacted over
half of the country’s access to drinking
water. The Western Ghats, a biodiver-
sity hotspot teeming with more than
30 per cent of the country’s species, are
being systematically razed in service of
mining and commodity agriculture.
Food purchases in rural India have de-
creased by nearly 10 per cent. Poverty
and malnutrition are on an upward
climb. This is our new normal. We are
depleted, overwhelmed, and primed
First, accept the truth as it is: we are for transformation.
“WEARENOT not sustainable. The world we are leav- TIME TO ENGAGE
ing for future generations is compro-
SUSTAINABLE. mised. The sacred Ganga is profaned The promise of sustainability, embed-
THEWORLDWE with poison, the Sundarbans are being ded in a 1992 United Nations report
ARELEAVING swallowed by the sea, and our cities on sustainable development titled Our
are choking.
Common Future, was built on the
FORFUTURE Then, take time to ponder the ways ideals of environmental protection,
GENERATIONSIS our systems have failed us—the indus- economic growth and social equity.
COMPROMISED” tries and politicians distended with “Sustainable development,” the au- BIKRAMJIT BOSE; GETTY IMAGES
wealth and power. Calibrate the im-
thors proclaimed, “meets the needs of
pact of billionaires against impover- the present without compromising the
ished billions. Consider the monocul- ability of future generations to meet
126 VOGUE INDIA JANUARY 2020www.vogue.in
Over 906,000
hectares of and evolving, as dynamic and enduring
forest within as the seasons. The monsoons will
the Amazon come. The monsoons will go. And we
have been lost will be together still.
to fi re in 2019 Years ago, upon learning that 90 per
cent of global fi sh stocks were depleted,
I asked oceanographer Sylvia Earle
what to do. She reached for my hand,
squared her gaze and responded: “The
other 10 percent, we fi ght for what we
still have.”
Air pollution in India kills
about 25 lakh people each WE’RE IN THIS TOGETHER
year. According to WHO, Sustainability is an opportunity and
Delhi is one of the most obligation that belongs to all of us.
polluted cities in the world So ask yourself: how will you deepen
your connection to our fi erce, tender
world? In what ways
will you hold the
institutions that un-
dergird your life ac-
countable and discern
their intentions from
impact? How will you
In 2019 alone, over 13 states cultivate community,
in India were a ected by nourish compassion
fl oods caused due to heavy and grow love? What
rains, leaving 500 dead and will you do to save
a million displaced what sustains you?
While quick tips
you can check off a list
are tempting, they are
their own needs.” Now, check the up- not enough. Get a good water fi lter and
dated defi nition. Sustainability, a term wean yourself off excessive plastic,
STEP UP that held visions of abundance, resil- take public transport, eat lower on the
Let these apps guide you to a more ience and justice has in many instanc- food chain and re-envision your ties to
sustainable life. By Ishita es become a corporatised abstraction: people and places. Sustainability is
Nirbhavne people, planet, profi t; earth ethics, eco- about our relationship with all that
nomics; three-legged stools and triple surrounds us. How will you move on
UZED allows you to responsibly bottom lines; stakeholders over share- this earth in a way that reveals your
dispose of and recycle plastics and holders. Nearly 30 years since its entry cares? Will your sustainability be
other items while winning gift cards. into global consciousness, the world we found in the folds of your kurta or the
THE PATH TO LUMA is an are leaving for future generations has items on your plate? Will it show up in
adventure puzzle game that teaches indeed been compromised. Sustain- how you support others or in the way
you about clean energy. ability means everything and nothing. you care for yourself? There is no sin-
Allow the rage that follows the grief gle answer, but what is clear is that we
AQI INDIA keeps a check on to ignite you. Accept that we cannot are in this together.
the Air Quality Index, helping you depend on institutions reliant on quar- Open your mouth, speak and act.
understand the air you breathe. terly returns or beholden to election The cost of doing nothing is too great.
cycles to manifest the world we need Step onto the path forged by Sunita,
ECOSIA is a ‘tree-planting’ browser and want. It is time for us to get to Ridhima, Greta and Wangari. We are
that uses money made from searches work and make vague notions of sus- the heroines of this story. We are the
to fund reforestation programmes. tainability concrete, to become curious ones who will mend what is broken.
OROECO is a carbon footprint about what sustains us: a quiet morn- Let this awareness seep into your skin
tracker that will help you make ing chai, the accomplishments of our and fl ood your veins. Manifest the
eco-friendly choices. loved ones, birdsong. Our relationship world you want and the truth as you
with the world around us is complex want it to be, as only you can. ■
www.vogue.in VOGUE INDIAJANUARY 127
view
Anupama Chopra and
Bittu Sahgal at Sequel
Bistro in Mumbai
It’s diffi cult to believe that Bittu Sah-
gal is 72. India’s original environmen-
talist (he launched Sanctuary Asia
magazine in 1981) speaks with a teen-
ager’s enthusiasm and energy about
the issues that have haunted him for
decades—climate change, Earth’s de-
pleting resources and mankind’s con-
sistent myopia. Over a vegan meal at
Sequel Bistro in Mumbai, Sahgal ex-
plained why we all need to care more
about the planet.
Anupama Chopra: You were
talking about climate change
when none of us had even heard
of it. The conversation has now
become a lot more urgent. What
has it been like for you?
Bittu Sahgal: To be perfectly honest,
I’ve given up on my generation. There
are these four horsemen of the apoca-
lypse that we seem drawn to: igno-
rance, arrogance, avarice and apathy.
OUT TO LUNCH I’ve been fi ghting them for 40 years
and I don’t see us anywhere close to
winning the battle. So, I work with
CAPTAINPLANET kids. I fi nd that they don’t have the
same cynicism as adults. They are
trusting, but straightforward.
He’s been saving the environment since the AC: How did your crusade to
1980s, but has recently found a renewed save the planet begin? LOCATION COURTESY SEQUEL BISTRO; ART DIRECTION: NIYATI MEHTA; SHUTTERSTOCK,COM
zest thanks to Gen Z. Bittu Sahgal talks BS: We never had a business plan for
Sanctuary. We never had money or
development, vegetarianism and the line capital either. It was a case of wanting
between need and greed with Anupama Chopra to protect the planet and knowing
that simply talking about it was
not going to change the world. So, we
Photographed by SHREYA SEN launched the magazine and went on
to produce 30 documentaries that
aired on Doordarshan. We reached 30
128 VOGUE INDIA JANUARY www.vogue.in
“I’M HOPEFUL FOR THE
AC: For those of us who are not
environment activists, what can
FUTURE THANKS TO THE
we do to help?
NEXT GENERATION”
BS: Do what you do naturally. If
you’re an artist, use your art. If you’re
—BITTU SAHGAL
an engineer, use your skill. If you’re a
businessman, use your infl uence. Eve-
rybody using their talents in different
ways is how biodiversity works. Learn
from the forest. Squirrels, sloths, mon-
keys and tigers aren’t sitting together
and saying, “We’ve got to save this for-
est!” They coexist, and their lifestyles
erational environmental colonisation. work together seamlessly to create
Our children do not have safe water, the biosphere.
soil, climate or even social circum-
stances—their world isn’t safe. So I AC: Our lifestyles have done most
cannot stop, I have to keep at it. of the damage. What are some
basic changes to start with?
AC: And how do you cope with BS: Consume less. I tell children:
the bleakness of the current “When you brush your teeth, you
environmental situation? should not be able to hear the tap.
BS: The dark thoughts come, but like When you drink water, don’t pour it
other people, I have a belief in whom- up to the top. Pour only as much as
ever you call God. In my case it’s you need.” Live carefully and make
quasi-religious. You could call me a sure you reduce your impact.
pantheist. I believe that the world will
stop us from doing more damage than AC: What about our food habits?
we can. Nature will push back, even if BS: I see no option for the world
it is in a harsh way. but to go vegetarian. It’s a
simple safety issue. Fac-
AC: Do you see development tory farming aside, our
and saving the environment seafood is polluted
as mutually exclusive? with mercury, pesti-
million people, but they said that our BS: Actually, they are the same thing. cides and antibiotics
ratings were ridiculously low. Those If development means ‘perpetual are used to keep
were the days of Ramayana growth’, then it is not development. farms and cattle
and Mahabharata, which had a view- That’s why economists have the wrong disease-free. At this
ing audience of 100 million—but we end of the stick. Development is doing time, vegetarianism
kept going! well, and being able to do well till the is simply the health-
end of your days—not buying three ier option.
AC: How do you keep going? cars, four air conditioners, fi ve private
BS: I think about quitting every jets and eight holiday homes. Gandhi AC: Are you hopeful
month. I can’t convince my country of once said that there is enough on Earth for the future?
simple things, like worshipping the for everyone’s need but not for every- BS: While I am pessimistic
Ganga and not polluting it at the one’s greed. The planet has fi nite re- about my generation and its ability
same time. But you know, you don’t sources. Our objective should be to live to improve or adapt, I’m hopeful for
really lose until you give up. I’m in a way that allows them to be used to the future thanks to the next genera-
angry because we went and replaced spread the greatest amount of security tion, and because Earth has a way of
British colonisation with this intergen- and happiness. healing itself. ■
www.vogue.in VOGUE INDIAJANUARY 129
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SOME OF THE FEATURED PORTFOLIOS
NIRMOOHA BY PRREETI JAIIN NAINUTIA
With an inclination towards design and craftsmanship, Prreeti Jaiin
Nainutia came up with Nirmooha—her own label—that promotes as
well as empowers Indian crafts and craftsmen. Ethnic yet modern
and timeless yet versatile, the clothes from the label blend traditional
motifs with modern styles that are skilfully crafted by experienced
Indian artisans. Catering to the modern women of today, the designs
are an amalgamation of fi nesse, style, comfort and glamour.
SEASON’S FAVOURITE:
The spring summer collection, Fiora—the delicate a air features
breezy separates in fresh and vibrant fl orals patterns featuring delicate
dandelions, sunshine buttercups and luscious periwinkles. The elegant
collection features outfi ts in gorgeous hues of ivory, duck egged blue,
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JUHI SHAH
Founded and spearheaded by designer Juhi Shah, the eponymous
label is known for delivering understated elegance through its
tastefully crafted one-of-a-kind ensembles that instantly remind you
of a dreamy summer morning. With rich and vibrant embroideries
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SEASON’S FAVOURITE:
Shah’s autumn winter collection, Ekaa, features ensembles in an array
of colours, perfect for the festive season. Evocating a sense of unity
and bound by heritage and culture, the beautiful designs celebrate
ensembles like sharara, lehngas, anarkali suits and bridal essentials in
enchanting, traditional colours such as mosaic blue, coral pink, ash
crème, fl ame scarlet, heritage green, blossom, ivory blush, yellow iris,
galaxy green opulent black, purple and more.
ATTIC SALT
Founded in 2017 by Vimarsh and Alpana Razdan, Attic Salt
brings the latest in international fashion with creations that feature
beautifully handcrafted techniques blended with elegant silhouettes.
While Alpana is a management graduate and a NIFT Delhi
alumnus, Vimarsh graduated from NIFT Delhi and IIM Kolkata and
together, they founded Attic Salt. A perfect amalgamation of local
and global, the label focusses on sustainability and keeping the local
artisans’ work relevant in modern India.
SEASON’S FAVOURITE:
Tired of wearing a dress? Slip into this beautiful jumpsuit that will ensure
that you are the cynosure of all eyes, no matter what the occasion.
The colourful sequined pattern and the dramatic sleeve on the black
number, adds some much needed drama to the ensemble.
Reuse
FOCUS
Conscious
crusaders ANEETH ARORA, PÉRO
USP: Diligent Indian textiles and
Handloom weaves, zero-waste policies, handcrafting meet an international
fair-trade practices, artisan welfare and a aesthetic to make a truly global brand
reduction in carbon footprints—sustainability It’s not unusual to encounter linen-cotton
means different things to these fashion from West Bengal, handwoven silk from
Bhagalpur (Bihar), mulberry silk from
frontrunners. By Kimi Dangor south India, mashru and bandhani from
Gujarat and chanderis from Madhya
Pradesh in a single collection of Aneeth
Arora’s label, péro. Arora, a textile design
graduate from the National Institute of
Design (NID), Ahmedabad, lays emphasis
on all things handmade, sustainable and
syncretic, while adding a touch of whimsy
that makes her label an amalgam of old
and new. Just a decade old, péro has won
the British Council’s Young Entrepreneur
Award in Fashion (2011) and, more
recently, a Threads of Excellence Award
presented by the Ministry of Textiles,
Government of India. Apart from working
with pure textiles and chemical-free
dyes, Arora is a proponent of upcycling.
From repurposing old péro pieces for
clients and using waste in trims, tags
“For us, the basic idea of sustainability is to be
and bags, the brand adds one recycled
able to support the people we are working with,
piece to every seasonal collection.
so that they have a sustainable lifestyle.”
Above all, for Arora, sustainability means
working with handwork processes and
providing consistent employment to her
craftspeople.
BHARAT SIKKA; ABHEET GIDWANI; CHARUDUTT CHITRAK
STEFANO FUNARI, I WAS A SARI
USP: Steeped in circularity and sustainability, Funari’s label uses pre-loved saris and utilises waste material
Winner of the Circular Design Challenge at Lakmé Fashion Week 2018, one half of a creative collaboration
with Gucci, and recent winner at the Green Carpet Fashion Awards in Milan, I was a Sari provides
employment opportunities to women from disadvantaged communities in Maharashtra. “The concept of
sustainability includes not only upcycling products, but also social inclusion and fi nancial sustainability. The
idea is to lenghten the lives of saris as well as upgrade the lives of the female artisans who work for us,” says
Italy-born Funari, who, along with his partner Poornima Pande, trains women in stitching and embroidery,
turning old saris and other waste materials into dresses, kimonos, jackets and accessories. >
EDITED BY PRIYANKA KHANNA www.vogue.in VOGUE INDIA JANUARY 133
in
“For us, sustainability goes beyond fashion and trends. It’s about
every process we undertake, questioning everything we’ve done in the RAJESH PRATAP SINGH
past, and how we can improve these processes in the future.” tailored to perfection and made to last
USP: Clothes in classic styles that are
Whether it’s a white pin-tucked
shirt, a pair of indigo khadi jeans or
a lustrous kinkhab jacket, a Rajesh
Pratap Singh design is timeless,
detailed and resilient. The veteran
designer’s eponymous label thrives on
the philosophy of a timeless product
being the first step to sustainability.
Since its launch, the label has been
synonymous with his almost scientific
textile innovations via the integration
of handloom and high-tech methods
(he refers to himself as a research and
development person, rather than a
designer). His work with natural indigo,
khadi denim, wool, metal yarn, ikat
and cellulose fibres like Tencel is a
masterclass in innovation.
ANAVILA SINDHU MISRA, ANAVILA
USP: Her work with linen led to the first-ever 100 per
cent linen sari, lending fluidity and indigenous fashion
representation to the fabric
From home decor to linen saris, Misra’s experiments
with the unwieldy fabric have made her label synonymous
with organic drapes and fuss-free shapes. Her design
oeuvre has evolved since her launch in 2011 to include
separates, and experiments with jamdani, zari, block
prints, batik, embroidery and kala cotton. But her
philosophy has remained constant, much like her work
with the weaving clusters in Phulia, West Bengal, where
the first linen sari was woven. “After working with natural
yarn or handwoven textiles to create a special product,
you think: why not add value to it by using natural
dyes and minimising waste,” she says of her recent
experiments with organic dyes that led to the Sa Pa line
for summer/resort 2019. “Before sustainability became a
popular hashtag, no one thought it was necessary to be MIA MORIKAWA AND SHANI HIMANSHU,
conscious. Now, it has become imperative,” says Misra. 11.11/ELEVEN ELEVEN
USP: Organic fabrics and natural dyes come
together in this 100 per cent handmade label
The kala cotton khadi denim jacket front and centre on the
website is a microcosm of Morikawa and Himanshu’s design
philosophy—organic hand spun cotton coupled with natural
indigo dye that is handcrafted with care by artisans. Himanshu SHAHID DATTAWALA; VIKRAM KUSHWAH; TORANJ KAYVON; NISHANTH RAADHAKRISHNAN; ABHAY SINGH
and Morikawa’s 10-year-old organic luxury label aims to be
a conduit between farmers, weavers, vegetable dyeing and
block-printing traditions by tracing the supply chain story from
‘seed to stitch’. With bandhani as their trademark, the duo
continues to experiment with clamp-dyeing, block prints, mud
resist and kalamkari traditions. Their zero-waste policy results
in reclaimed accessories like bamboo backpacks, slip-on
shoes, necklaces and notebooks that continue the indigo story.
“We have a natural instinct to revalue discarded materials in
surprising ways. We create to ignite a dialogue that challenges
the idea of consumption,” explains Himanshu.
134 VOGUE INDIA JANUARY 2020www.vogue.in
RINA SINGH, EKÀ
RUCHIKA SACHDEVA, USP: Natural fabrics and easy silhouettes meet timeless
BODICE and functional clothes
USP: Tradition-enriched textiles
and tech innovations that create When Rina Singh launched Ekà in 2011, it was with the
minimal clothes that are anything singular view of creating minimal and comfortable
but simple clothes from biodegradable natural fabrics that would
work across continents, seasons and ages. “Doing the
What makes Ruchika Sachdeva’s kind of clothes that anybody can wear at any point in life,
Bodice stand out is not her the kinds that aren’t confined to seasons and represent
‘understated, yet special’ India for its crafts language—that defines sustainability
philosophy, but her tenaciously
balanced approach to fashion, for me,” says the designer, whose organic fabrics and
where tradition and technology fuss-free wearability have won her universal appeal. This
come together to form a unified consistency also remains Singh’s mantra in her commit-
vision. For the London College ment to her weavers in West Bengal and Bihar, and her
of Fashion alumna, who bagged trusted block printers from Gujarat. Her studio employs
the International Woolmark solar energy, green water harvesting and responsible
Prize 2017/18, the process has waste management. “Fashion can never be truly
always been as important as sustainable in its entirety, but the ideal scenario would be
the product. Apart from the to source locally, make locally and sell locally,” she says.
all-natural yarns, handloom
textiles and state-of-the-art
mill-made materials she employs,
Sachdeva’s label is passionate
about biodegradability: LDPE (a
more sustainable plastic) bags are
used for packaging, coconut shell DAVID ABRAHAM AND RAKESH THAKORE,
and wood buttons are fashioned ABRAHAM & THAKORE
from waste and she ties up with USP: A minimal and contemporary take on fashion that
handloom facilities to make fabric is firmly rooted in Indian textile traditions and crafts
from reused yarn and waste.
Before minimalism became a buzzword, textile
designers David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore
(students of NID, Ahmedabad) created a quiet, pared-
“We are very conscious about reducing
down aesthetic where weaves took centre stage. Nearly
our carbon footprint while making clothes.
27 years later, their work, as they put it, is a “distillation
and simplification of traditional textile methods”, albeit
Personally, I think sustainability goes beyond just
completely contemporary. For example, the tiny double
working with crafts. That is just one aspect of it.”
ikat ministrations of the weaver from the Puttapaka
cluster in Telangana turn into a silk houndstooth sari
(autumn/winter 2011-12) that finds pride of place in the
archives of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. “In
KARISHMA SHAHANI KHAN, KA-SHA India, we have a responsibility to protect small-scale
USP: Vibrant, layered clothing in industries and human skills—they are the custodians
organic fabrics that celebrate Indian of our culture,” says Abraham. They’ve also delved
handicrafts and tie-dye traditions into interesting sustainable projects including an
environment-friendly viscose fibre, EcoVero. >
Inspired by India, the land of ‘jugaad’, Karishma
Shahani Khan created a line incorporating
plastic, gunny sacks, old chandeliers and
second-hand sneakers for her London College
of Fashion graduation collection. When she
finally launched her label Ka-Sha in 2012, this
waste-to-wearability policy carried over. While
her label’s USP remains the mixing and matching
of colours, craft techniques and artful layering in
natural cotton, silks and khadi, Shahani Khan’s
heart lies in upcycling. In 2019, this was formal-
ised into a line, Heart To Haat, with a focus on
turning post-production remnants into products.
Recently, she made her foray into renewable
alternatives, swapping ivory buttons for
vegetable ivory (corozo) from Ecuador.
www.vogue.in VOGUE INDIA JANUARY 2020 135
in
GAURAV JAI GUPTA,
AKAARO
USP: The textile developer
creates engineered clothing
using unconventional materials
on traditional handlooms RAHUL MISHRA
USP: Detailed simplicity that is
In 2002, while still a student at an ode to craftsmanship
the National Institute of Fashion
Technology (Delhi), Gupta first In 2014, Rahul Mishra won the prestigious
used copper and steel to weave International Woolmark Prize, indelibly
fabrics. Today, his label Akaaro is changing the way world fashion perceived
known for using non-traditional Indian design and craftsmanship. Simple
materials as well as creating silhouettes in handloom fabrics relied on
contemporary handwoven storytelling through intricate embroideries,
textiles and engineered fabrics appliqué and handiwork, giving slow fashion
using monofilament silks, a whole new meaning. Today, Mishra’s
cotton, wool, zari and stainless decade-old sustainable luxury label works
steel. Although he’s a purist, with exhaustive handmade techniques to
his technological experiments empower the craft sector in places like West
include the trademark metallic Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh
saris that have garnered and Varanasi and seeks to showcase their
collectors and copycats in talents at platforms like Paris Fashion Week.
equal measure. A champion A big proponent of reverse migration,
of slow fashion, Gupta says his the designer prides himself on aiding his
handloom processes, zero-waste craftspeople to return to their villages and
policy and upcycling practices work from the comfort of their homes. “We
are ingrained thanks to his are a socially audited company with people
middle-class upbringing and keeping an eye on the empowerment of
the need to strike a balance in a our craftspeople. Sustainability has to be
consumerist profession. about a purpose that defines the process,
participation and employment of artisans,
to finally create the product. The product
cannot be the sole focus,” he says. n
“I don’t think one can make very good things very
fast. It has to be thoughtful, mindful and focused.”
AMIT AGGARWAL,
AM.IT
USP: Plastic polymers and other
non-traditional materials that expand the
dialogue on fashion and sustainability
In a sea of organic fashion facsimiles, Amit
Aggarwal’s couture and diffusion titles stand
out for experimentation and innovation. His
eponymous couture line continues to work
with recycled polymer sheets—cutting, folding,
moulding and freezing them into architectural
shapes, adding discarded patola and Benarasi
textiles to the methodical madness. His pret
label AM.IT, launched in 2015, pairs handwoven
ikats, Chanderi fabric, gamchas and block
prints with straws, polythene bags and music
discs for a mind-bending medley. With both,
Aggarwal’s aim is simple—to increase the shelf FARHAN HUSSAIN; BHARAT SIKKA; GETTY IMAGES
life of products and keep them out of landfills.
“This way, generations to come will value what
you take or derive from the environment, while
being conscious of not exploiting it and instead
allowing it to grow in a healthy manner.”
136 VOGUE INDIA JANUARY 2020 www.vogue.in
~RUSTIC ELEGANCE~
The perfect conversation
starter
www.themaevastore.com @themaevastore
in
REPORT
No love lost
The wearers and bearers of
vintage share with us why now
more than ever, everything old is AROUND
THE
new again. By Akanksha Kamath WORLD IN
VINTAGE
SHOPS
WITH
LASRADO
PARIS
Nice Piece
The Friperies
Didier Ludot
D AND THE BEAUTIFUL
By Smita Lasrado NEW YORK CITY
What Goes Around
Comes Around
“Most people wax eloquent about the trans- my 60 per cent vintage wardrobe is a ’70s YSL
formative powers of fashion—how it can make bold-shoulder leather jacket I found in a hole-
you happier, more confident, and give you a in-the-wall shop in Paris. It’s dark black, per-
whole new personality. But the quality I find fectly cut, and smells of days fi lled with David
myself most attracted to in a dress or a jacket is Bowie, Steel Magnolias (1989), The Breakfast
the way it teleports me to a different time. One Club (1985), and Bianca Jagger. My initiation
pre-loved item in my closet does this for me into vintage was 13 years ago, while modelling MUMBAI
each time I slip into it: a vintage label-less gold in Paris. It started with not wanting to look like No Borders
foil dress that resembles wrapping paper. I every other Parisienne in her Isabel Marant
found it on eBay in 2014, and as with every- coat and sneakers. But as I grow older, I’ve
thing eBay, I placed my bid and bagged it for a started thinking a lot more about how I con-
sweet $39.99 ( 2,900)—a steal for something sume in a world filled with overconsumption. COURTESY NIKILESHWAR; SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
that could’ve belonged to a ’70s rock star. I’m Now a part of me wants to buy pre-loved be-
obsessed with the old, so instead of bringing it cause, let’s be honest, do I really need a brand ONLINE
into the now, I put it on and walk around like new dress? The answer is almost always no. An eBay (especially if
I’m starring in an ’80s music video (minus the immaculately cut dress from three decades ago you’re pressed for time)
perm). Another piece that has pride of place in will work just as well.”
138 VOGUE INDIA JANUARY www.vogue.in
THE WEARERS
These women don’t subscribe to the ready-
made diet of fast fashion. They tell us why
you don’t need ‘new’ to be ‘now’
Ekta Rajani FAVOURITE FIND: An early ’80s
no-name skirt suit. Price: 8,700 (110€).
Location: Paris
STYLIST AND DESIGN
CONSULTANT HOW I LIKE TO WEAR IT:
“Deconstructed. The jacket with a plain
FAVOURITE FIND: An old sari from white top and jeans, the skirt with an
Akaaro by Gaurav Jai Gupta. Price: 28,000. oversized T-shirt, the jacket draped over
Location: Mumbai a dress—the possibilities are endless.”
HOW I LIKE TO WEAR IT: “Draped as a MYTH: “Vintage clothes are of a
dress, teamed with an old Bungalow 8 necklace, lower quality.”
old high-street boots and an even older vintage TRUTH: “They come from an era
bomber from the Marais in Paris.” where the quality of fabrics and fi nishing
was far superior to today’s clothes.”
MYTH: “Pre-owned and vintage is not luxury.”
TRUTH: “The demand for highly elusive vintage WHY VINTAGE? “Wearing a
wear will rise when more influencers participate.” unique piece from an ’80s designer is
more exciting than the last creation
WHY VINTAGE? “Anyone in the business Divya Saini everybody will be wearing at the next
of fashion will tell you, it’s never what you wear, fashion week. Vintage clothes have
but how you wear it. Wear the same styles over STYLIST AND FOUNDER, character; they have lived a life and
and over again and create stories around them. BODEMENTS have a story to tell. Buying vintage is like
Trends will then become insignificant.” gifting yourself a little piece of history.”
Kanika Karvinkop
THE INHERITORS OWNER, NO BORDERS SHOP
Combining the story of something old HEIRLOOM: A SARI FROM HER
and something borrowed, these women MOTHER’S TROUSSEAU
carry forward the culture of legacy “Six years ago, my mum gave me the sari she
wore to her reception. When she set out to buy
one in 1986, she had another colour in mind—till
Pernia Qureshi she saw this sari. She's worn it to all important
occasions since. Now, it’s one of my favourites.”
ENTREPRENEUR AND
LUXURY CONSULTANT Palak Shah
HEIRLOOM: CEO, EKAYA BANARAS
A CARTIER RING
“My mum would wear it casually HEIRLOOM: A ’ S EKAYA SARI
to lunch dates with her friends. It’s “My father passed this sari down to me. It was part
at least 15 years old, maybe more. of the fi rst collection he ever designed. People are
I don’t wear that much jewellery, adopting older, simpler, more profound defi nitions
so I like to wear it in the evening of beauty as they seek to forge a connection with
as a standalone statement piece, the textile revival movement and embrace the
usually styled semi-formally.” memories that make up heirlooms.” >
www.vogue.in VOGUE INDIA JANUARY 139
in
THE BEARERS
These resale websites show you how to get
the most value for your vintage buys
Sasha Skoda
HEAD, WOMEN,
THE REALREAL
VINTAGE OF THE FUTURE:
“Searches for vintage fashion are up 150
per cent this year alone. There is a drive
towards the timeless, a desire to bring
back classic staples like the Hermès ‘Kelly’
bag or a vintage Cartier watch.” Sophie Hersan
THE NEW APPEAL: “In the age of Arun Gupta
social media and infl uencers, there’s a CO FOUNDER AND
desire to make a trend your own.” FASHION DIRECTOR, CO FOUNDER AND
LUXURY VS VINTAGE: “Stella VESTIAIRE COLLECTIVE CHIEF EXECUTIVE,
McCartney said it best in her February GRAILED AND
interview with US Vogue: ‘It’s the biggest VINTAGE OF THE FUTURE: HEROINE
compliment for your product to have an “Iconic, timeless pieces such as the
afterlife. To me, that’s luxury.’ Brands that Hermès ‘Kelly’, the ‘Classic’ Chanel, the
are made well will have multiple lives. Not Louis Vuitton ‘Noé’, YSL blouses and VINTAGE : “Vintage is in the eye
only is that a testament to their quality, it’s timepieces from the likes of Rolex.” of the beholder. For some it is anything
also good for the planet.” last season, while for others it is defi ned
THE NEW APPEAL: “Large by items that are over a decade old. The
VALUE FOR YOUR VINTAGE: international exhibitions by fashion houses important thing to note is that no matter
“Look for investment pieces—timeless such as Dior and Yves Saint Laurent have how someone defi nes ‘vintage’ clothing,
styles from luxury brands like Cartier, furthered our interest in brand history it does not mean that the garment is past
Hermès or Louis Vuitton, that are known and heritage by showcasing their archival its prime.”
to hold value over time. That way, should collections.”
you decide to resell an item in six months THE NEW APPEAL: “With the
or six years, you know you’ll make a VALUE FOR YOUR VINTAGE: “A growing interest in sustainability, not to
signifi cant amount back on your original unique and historical piece from YSL, mention the eternal desire to fi nd a good
investment.” Chanel or Dior will always be highly deal, we imagine vintage shopping is only
valuable. The vast majority of fashion going to get bigger.”
CURRENTLY TRENDING: “Between houses take inspiration from archives.
logomania and a ’90s resurgence, we’ve With a focus on their own heritage and LUXURY VS VINTAGE: “Grailed
seen a spike in demand for Prada nylon, DNA, existing designers from brands and Heroine have been fi ghting against
Dior saddle bags and Fendi baguettes. such as Fendi, Dior and Celine are a narrative that ‘used’ or ‘second-hand’
We’ve also seen a boost for original re-editing key designs from the past, clothing isn’t sexy. The rise of archive
era pieces, with rising demand for ’70s instantly increasing the value of their culture and sustainability, which I believe
Celine after Hedi Slimane referenced vintage pieces three or four times over.” we’ve had a direct hand in, has helped
those designs in his latest show, as well turn the tide, so we have benefi tted from
as classics like the Dior ‘Malice’, Fendi CURRENTLY TRENDING: “There’s a more educated consumer—the kind who
‘Mama’ and Louis Vuitton ‘Pochette’, a strong interest for bold gold jewellery, knows that the best deals and pieces are
which are starting to rise in resale value.” big shoulders and early street wear.” often found on the secondary market.” ■
140 VOGUE INDIA JANUARY www.vogue.in
arresting, ranging from deeper shades of
OFCONTEMPORARYCUTS emerald green and navy blue to softer hues of
ivory and champagne.
In March this year, Julie showcased her
ANDCOUTURECOLLECTIONS collection at the FDCI India Fashion Week
Fashion designer Julie Shah’s latest collection, The with Bollywood actor Rakul Preet Singh being
the showstopper. She has also showcased her
High Noon Affair, sees a seamless blend of traditional ensembles at Lakmé Fashion Week. With
and modern silhouettes in ensembles that are perfect an ability to craft outfits that are modern
yet elegant, with touches of tradition, it’s no
for the wedding season wonder that Julie’s clientele boasts several
fashionistas, including, among others, Vaani
Kapoor, Kiara Advani, and, Prachi Desai.
Every girl dreams and luxe festive wear. Envisioned for the Julie’s clothes are also available at Aza
of her wedding day. modern bride, Julie’s collection features her online, Aashni & co, Pernia Pop Up stores
And for a bride, signature designs in contemporary silhouettes. across India, Ogaan, Agashe, Vesimi Dubai,
there is nothing more Think dramatic ruffles, intricate embroidery Anahita and Elahe.
important than her and fluid outfits that spell feminine charm.
wedding outfit. While With innovative styles for brides who like
nothing beats the contemporary outfits that reflect an Indian Julie, Ground Floor, Krishna Chambers,
traditional red sari or essence, the ensembles from her new Opp SNDT College, Next to
lehnga, an increasing collection are a transition from traditional American Centre, New Marine Lines,
Mumbai – 400020.
number of brides wedding wear to haute designs flaunting For more information call
are choosing to experiment with their bridal avant-garde styles. +91(0)8450925506 and
ensembles for their special day. And to appeal Whether it’s a bohemian gown, an elegant +91 9769239704 or follow
to the sensibilities of today’s bride, designer ruffle sari or a simple anarkali, floral prints, @juliebyjulieshah on Instagram
Julie has launched her new collection, The sheer panelling, appliqué work and hand
High Noon Affair. While the clothes from embroidery seem to be in trend for bridal
the collection are perfect for brides, Julie’s outfits. In keeping with the boho vibe, Julie’s
ensembles are also apt for bridesmaids, the latest collection offers everything from
bride’s sisters or her best friends. beautiful tiered shararas, flared jumpsuits
The luxury apparel brand, JULIE by Julie and pleated gowns to cocktail dresses and
Shah boasts a wide collection of prêt wear, embroidered playsuits, with subtle hints
evening wear, bridal couture, resort wear of glamour. The colour palette is equally
in
SPOTLIGHT
Earth mother
For Stella McCartney, sustainability isn’t a
buzzword, an aspiration, or an abstract concept.
It’s a way of life—and a focal point of her ever-
expanding business. By Hamish Bowles
142 VOGUE INDIA JANUARY 2020www.vogue.in
“I’m so off my tits on coffee,” Stella McCartney ows, orchards, and Downton-scaled rose gar-
admits, knocking back yet another cup in the dens and herbaceous borders—a series of
foyer of a boutique hotel a stone’s throw from reed-filled ponds that turned out to be the Mc-
her home in London’s Notting Hill. “I had four Cartney-Willises’ off-the-grid sewage system.
school drop-offs this morning,” she explains. “I “See?” says McCartney with her impish laugh.
start at 6.30am, and by the time I get to work “Being an environmentalist can be sexy!”
[by bicycle], I feel like I’m literally done for the McCartney has been environmentally con-
day. I’m a big hot sweaty mess, too,” she adds, scious since childhood. “I was privileged,” she
having decided that a thick organic-cotton fly- has admitted. “I grew up on an organic farm; I
ing suit (no pesticides used in its production) saw the seasons. My parents were vegetari-
was the way to dress for a Monday morning ans—they were change agents.” And so, the
that started grimly overcast but soon turned outdoors is also reflected in McCartney’s state-
sultry. “It’s just so difficult being in fashion, of-the-sustainable-arts London flagship store—
isn’t it?” McCartney sighs. “We have to pretend which she designed herself, with a soundtrack
to be so perfect. I’m the one that comes in with that includes a three-hour loop of her father
a punk-rock kind of ‘fuck this perfection,’ ” says Paul’s demo tapes along with a Bob Roth medi-
the woman who famously turned up, with Liv tation in the changing rooms. “The audio is im-
Tyler, to the Costume Institute’s 1999 Rock portant for me,” she says as she proudly walks
Style exhibition, both wearing jeans and cus- me round it, “because it’s obviously such a big
tom T-shirts spelling out ROCK ROYALTY. part of my upbringing.” There are papier-mâ-
“It’s not maintainable, it’s not wise, and it’s ché walls made from “all of the shredded paper
very old-fashioned. So there you go.” from the office,” along with a silver birch grove
McCartney does the school run five days a and a moss-covered rockery of giant granite “I was
week with daughters Bailey, 13, and Reiley, 9, rocks brought from the 1,100-acre McCartney always a bit
and sons Miller, 14, and Beckett, 11. “When family farm in Scotland. “My personality is this of a freak in
you’ve got a job and you’ve got kids,” she says, sort of contrast between the hard and the soft,
“it’s when you get to see them—you have to the masculine and feminine,” says McCartney. the house
wake up super early and engage in that mo- “I wanted to have life in the store—to bring na- of fashion,”
ment. Then I try and squeeze in some exercise ture into the experience of shopping,” she ex- she says.
and then I go to work. I try and get back for the plains as she takes me up in the Stellevator to
bookending of being a mum.” the floor where she fitted the Duchess of Sussex “My culture
On weekends, McCartney spends more time for the glamorous halter-neck dress she wore has been
with the family when they decamp to an estate for the wedding reception following her mar- different
in the wilds of unfashionable north Gloucester- riage to Prince Harry.
shire, the result of a house hunt born, as Mc- Since McCartney’s 1995 Central Saint Mar- from day
Cartney has explained, of “a desperate mission tins graduation show, her brand has been de- one”
to find land so that I could ride my horse.” fined by the urgent desire to do away with ani-
McCartney married the dashing and protec- mal cruelty in the fashion industry. And while,
tive Alasdhair Willis—the former publisher of 20 years ago, there were fake furs on the mar-
Wallpaper and a creative guru himself—in ket, the only glues available were animal-based.
2003, and their aligned aesthetic passions run Today, McCartney uses renewable energy
the gamut from the innovative indoor-outdoor where it’s available for both her stores and of-
architecture of the mid-century Sri Lankan ar- fices; the eyewear she shows me in her store is
chitect Sir Geoffrey Bawa to old English roses. bi-acetate, and her sneakers are made with bio-
The couple’s handsome Georgian manor house degradable Loop technology; she uses regener-
is a breathtaking landscape of grand walled en- ated nylon, polyester, and cashmere but also
closures and allées of trees reflecting both her works with producers making innovative fash-
belief that “being out in a beautiful garden is ion fibres—building fake fur from sustainable
nicer than sitting in a beautiful room” and her corn fibre, for instance, producing vegan micro-
husband’s passion for such stately English silk, and growing mycelium-based ‘leather.’
flowering landscapes as Hidcote and Sissing- “I was always a bit of a freak in the house of
hurst. “We planted a million trees,” McCartney fashion,” McCartney says. “My regime, my cul-
told US Vogue in 2010, “made another Eden.”
ture, has been different from day one.” In Par-
COURTESY STELLA MCCARTNEY asks McCartney. “I was riding my horse bare- is, where she was appointed creative director of
“You know what I was doing this weekend?”
Chloé in 1997, she struggled with the percep-
tion that at 26 she was too young and unquali-
foot and bareback, with my daughter [Reiley].
It was about as good as it gets.”
fied for the job (“The Beatles wrote Sgt. Pepper
when they were 26,” she told US Vogue tartly),
On a visit there in 2010, I was intrigued to
and her working practice was “totally at odds >
discover—among the bridle paths, wild mead-
www.vogue.in VOGUE INDIA JANUARY 2020 143
in
with the rest of the industry,” as she recalls.
Even now, she says, “every single day in our
office is this sort of daily challenge—a way of
trying to perfect and persist and find realistic
solutions within the luxury fashion sector—
and even in a more broadstream way with the
collaborations with Adidas [initiated in 2004].
Each day,” she says, “there are questions that I
ask that we try to find an answer for. And if we
can’t, we’ll try again tomorrow.”
Despite what she refers to as “a lot of resist-
ance,” McCartney turned the Chloé gig (which
lasted through the launch of her self-titled
brand in 2001) into a triumph, tripling sales.
Today, as we march inexorably to global Arma-
geddon, her commitment to cruelty-free fash-
ion and sustainability is fast becoming the in-
dustry norm. In recent years, for instance,
luxury brands including Gucci, Prada, Michael
Kors, Armani and Chanel have declared them-
selves fur-free. “I’m hugely relieved,” says Mc-
Cartney, “but I’m actually astounded that it’s
taken so long.”
McCartney now gives scholarships at Central
Saint Martins, her alma mater, for students
who “adhere to our ethical charter,” and helps
young designers navigate the complicated ter-
rain of sustainability. “We’re in the farming
industry in fashion,” she says. “We look at the
biodiversity and the soil. It’s crazy. It’s basical-
ly exhausting. It’s much easier not to do it. So
I kind of understand why the world hasn’t
quite followed.”
But McCartney has far more ambitious goals
for expanding her global industry reach. Last
year, she bought back full ownership of her la-
bel from Kering, 17 years after the group’s then-
creative director Tom Ford had urged the com-
pany to invest in McCartney’s fledgling brand.
Following her move, “people began to show an
interest quite quickly,” as McCartney recalls. “I
was fortunate enough that Mr. Arnault was one
of the people.” She’s speaking, of course, of Ber-
nard Arnault, the all-powerful chairman and
chief executive of LVMH, which acquired a mi-
nority share in Stella McCartney in July 2019.
“I think it’s incredibly exciting. It sends a big,
big message to the industry if Mr Arnault is ask-
ing me to be his personal adviser on sustainabil-
ity at LVMH. I think that was one of the attrac-
tions for me—it is a big, timely statement, and
hopefully game-changing for all of us.”
McCartney points out that the fashion
brands with the biggest environmental impact COURTESY STELLA MCCARTNEY; INDIGITAL MEDIA
in terms of scale are “the high-end luxury hous-
es, and then the fast-fashion sector. They have
massive impact in a negative way, and they
can have a massive impact in a positive way.”
These fast-fashion retailers, as she observes,
144 VOGUE INDIA JANUARY 2020www.vogue.in
turned from fur far earlier than luxury brands.
“They’re more in touch with the youth,” she
says, “and what the next generation of consum-
ers actually wants. It’s a given for my children,”
she notes, “that you have to show some kind of
mindfulness or awareness.”
She may have her work cut out for her. A
week after our coffee klatch and four days be-
fore presenting her spring/summer 2020 show
in Paris (“our most sustainable collection
ever”), Arnault, addressing an LVMH sustain-
ability event in Paris, called out 16-year-old ac-
tivist Greta Thunberg for “indulging in an abso-
lute catastrophism about the evolution of the
world” in her electrifying appearance at the
United Nations summit on climate change. “I
find it demoralising,” he added. It was perhaps
no accident that McCartney raced to put togeth-
er a sustainability panel (no questions, no pho-
tographs) of her own on the eve of her show at
the Opéra Garnier—a panel that included Ex-
tinction Rebellion activist Clare Farrell, the leg-
endary environmentalist and activist Yann Ar-
thus-Bertrand, and author Dana Thomas
(Fashionopolis: The Price Of Fast Fashion And
The Future Of Clothes), who noted that “we
wear our clothes seven times on average before A look from Stella
throwing them away . . . we’re perpetuating this McCartney Cruise
bulimia of buying, using, and throwing away.” 2020
“What we’ve seen over the last few weeks
and months,” McCartney said, pointedly, “is northern China.) Her label now uses regener-
children and young people taking action.” The ated cashmere, made from factory scraps that
designer also addressed the issue of young ac- are shredded and re-spun into new yarn, and
tivists rejecting the idea of consumerism. “If focuses on alpaca (“a much more friendly mate-
the youth of today stop buying into it,” McCart- rial”) and traceable wool (four sweaters from
ney added, “then obviously, the people at the one sheep).
top have got to deliver on that.” McCartney also holds an annual forum for all “Each day
Rayon, or viscose, an indispensable fashion of her suppliers to talk with them about what there are
fibre, for instance, is created from wood pulp. her company requires and to share information
“This year alone,” McCartney says, “up to 150 on recent advances. “A lot of people see change questions
million trees have been cut down just for vis- as something scary,” she says, “but the mills that I ask that
cose.” McCartney now sources hers from sus- are interested in working with innovators.
tainable forests in Sweden. “I’m trying to cre- “I think that in a sense we’re a project,” she we try to find
ate something that’s still sexy and desirable adds. “We’re trying to prove that this is a viable an answer
and luxurious that isn’t landfill,” she tells me. way to do business in our industry—and that for. And if we
“Every single second, fast fashion is landfill.” you don’t have to sacrifice any style or edginess
While she was at Kering, the company devel- or coolness in order to work this way. At the can’t, we’ll
oped an environmental profit-and-loss tool that end of the day,” she says, “we’re a fashion try again
assigned a monetary value to environmental house trying to deliver on the promise of desir- tomorrow”
impact—something that led to McCartney’s de- ability. Without that, I can’t even have this con-
cision (to give just one example) to stop the use versation. So I have to try and find a healthy
of virgin cashmere, a material with 100 times balance—and doing both jobs is a balance. It’s
the environmental impact of wool. (It takes the same as being a mum. My other ‘family’ is
four goats to make enough cashmere for a sin- work. And I have to find the balance between
gle sweater, resulting in a need for grazing land this conversation of fashion and the conversa-
that has destroyed the steppes of Mongolia tion of consciousness—and they have to com-
and led to desertification and sandstorms in plement each other.” n
www.vogue.in VOGUE INDIA JANUARY 2020 145
in
BY INVITATION ONLY
LETTERS
FROM
LIVIA
Livia Firth, the founder
and creative director of
Eco-Age, a London-based
sustainability consultancy
with a client roster that
includes Gucci and Stella
McCartney, has been
at the forefront of ‘feel
good, look good, do
good’ fashion for over a
decade. We took notes
on her experiments with
sustainability and
the lessons she learned
Livia Firth along the way
Illustrated by
SHWETA MALHOTRA
The Green Carpet
Fashion Awards
“Usually, fashion awards celebrate
designers and collections while other
aspects are hidden. But the GCFA is
like the Oscars of fashion: it celebrates
the people behind what we wear—the
disruptors, innovators, scientists,
garment workers, cobblers...anyone
you can think of in fashion. This year,
we collaborated with the revolutionary
pre-loved platform Vestiaire Collective
by way of a pop-up in Milan ahead of
the GCFA, to encourage people to
get their outfi t for the evening there.
Because why shouldn’t we buy second-
hand that is high quality? The event
was a success and we look forward to
collaborating with them again.”> GETTY IMAGES
146 VOGUE INDIA JANUARY www.vogue.in
Celebrating
25
Y E A R S
of HERITAGE
CL O THING
Toll Free 1-800-3002-0309 | www.rathore.com
in
Lead by example
Bodice: “I love Bodice, which I discovered
during the International Woolmark Prize
two years ago. Ruchika Sachdeva perfectly
combines ethics and aesthetics. Her pieces
are timeless, which is always wonderful.”
Laura Strambi: “I have been a fan of
Laura’s classic-with-a-twist style forever. Her
passion for the environment is contagious—
she constantly looks for innovative
sustainable materials.”
Insta-spiration
Figue: “The designer behind the label works
with artisan communities in India, Kenya and
Latin America.”
@mrpatrickdu y,
Behno: “I met Shivam Punjya at The
@rosannafalconer,
Commonwealth Exchange in London, where
@cleanclothescampaign,
he showed a repurposed wool coat that had
@mrspress and
mirror-work done by fi ve T uvaluan women
@ellenmacarthurfoundation
who spent a month on it. It was incredible.”
Gucci and Burberry: “They are measuring
their social and environmental impact while
working to improve their supply chains.”
Need of the hour
“Erasing fast fashion. The name itself indicates that it is the SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
most unsustainable business model ever created, without even
addressing the fact that it is based on slave labour. This will be
the biggest challenge, particularly for the younger generation
born with this as their normality. We’ve been sold the myth that
148 VOGUE INDIA JANUARY www.vogue.in fast fashion is democratic, when in reality it is anything but.”
Myth vs truth
Myth: Sustainability is only about
environmental impact.
T ruth: “Sustainability is about social
impact as well, and I would argue that
this is even more important. Think about
the fast fashion system: it only works
(producing so much so fast and so
inexpensively) because of slave labour. If
companies were to pay a living wage to all,
the system would not sustain itself.”
Myth: Changing supply chains is
complicated.
T ruth: “Being in control of your supply
chain is the most e ective way to
guarantee sustainability, both in terms of
economics as well as the environment.”
Myth: As individuals, we don’t have much
power to change things.
T ruth: “We should all be active citizens
and contribute to the change we want to
see. One estimate suggests that in the US
alone, 500 million straws are used every
day. Just think of the e ect it would have
if each one of us stopped using them.”
Myth: Synthetic diamonds are better and
more ecological.
T ruth: “But are they? I am about to go
to Botswana to study the supply chain
of diamonds. I recently came across
a fascinating report that proved that “Fast fashion will be the biggest
diamond mining, when done properly,
contributes positively to the socio- challenge to overcome. Particularly for
economic landscape.”
the younger generation born with this
as their normality”
The greatest lesson
“We started Eco-Age in 2007. T welve years
later, sustainability has become a fashionable
Everyday word and every business is trying to understand
how to move forward, how to still be relevant,
mindfulness successful and profi table in 10 years’ time.
vigilant and demanding more, but we are still
“My motto is co- We are in a good space, where consumers are
dependency or inter- moving too slowly. We don’t have much time
dependency. Everything left to make the fashion industry good.” ■
we consume or do each —As told to Akanksha Kamath
day has been produced or
driven by another human
being. If you respect this
and think about ‘the other’,
then you automatically act
in a sustainable way.”
www.vogue.in VOGUE INDIA JANUARY 149
in
SUSTAIN
Forward march
Shaking up the system, from the board right down to the individual,
Vogue speaks with the forces working towards a greener fashion future
THE COMPANY
A more evolved luxury customer is asking: “Who
Marie- made our clothes?” Marie-Claire Daveu, French
Claire Daveu powerhouse Kering Group’s chief sustainability
o cer and head of international institutional a airs,
tells Rishna Shah that the answer lies at the top
How is Kering, the parent company behind legacy brands
like Gucci and Bottega Veneta, addressing sustainability?
Our CEO François-Henri Pinault is convinced that sustainability
must be built into the core of our business and represented at every
level of the company: from the board, through our stores, and across
our supply chains. I am responsible for defi ning and creating new ways
of looking at our business through the lens of sustainability.
With goods being scrutinised now more than ever, consum-
ers have become more aware of the traceability and integrity
of products. How do you keep up with the shift in buying?
Millennials and Gen-Z in particular are more conscious of their pur-
chasing power, and this helps drive sustainability in our entire indus-
try. We aren’t focused on sustainability as a marketing lever, but rath-
er, embedding it into all our collections as a part of our DNA. This
includes a strategy with a series of ambitious social and environmental
targets to attain by 2025—reducing our overall footprint by 40 per
cent across operations and supply chain, a target to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions by 50 per cent, and fi nding innovative ways to manufac-
ture more effi ciently. Plus, our Clean by Design programme for textile
mills translates into 12 per cent carbon dioxide savings every year. We
are also offsetting remaining greenhouse gas emissions every year
across our supply chain through REDD+, which protects critical for-
ests worldwide.
What about the social dimension of sustainability?
We have programmes to ensure diversity, gender parity and equality,
and equal opportunity. Externally, Kering engages its supply chain PHOTO: PEDRO FERREIRA; SUMER VERMA; SHUTTERSTOCK.COM. PRODUCTION: ANA CARACOL
partners to protect and transfer craftsmanship skills to the next
generation of artisans.
Can you tell us more about innovation and sustainability?
We already know that half of our target to reduce environmental im-
pacts will come from innovation, and start-ups are an important aspect
in this. We held a ‘Hackathon’ in Paris last October, where over 80
developers and experts participated to create apps or digital solutions
that could support sustainability in the industry.
150 VOGUE INDIA JANUARY www.vogue.in
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Before it's in fashion, it's in Vogue. Everything you need to know about fashion, trends, beauty, people and lifestyle, VOGUE India is your ultimate style guide. In these pages you’ll find the hottest, newest and latest from the world of fashion and beyond, both in India and from across the world, making it the must have accessory for the modern, fashionable Indian woman.
In this issue
The Values of Vogue THIS PAST SEPTEMBER, during the Paris collections, every Editor in Chief of Vogue—there are 26 in total around the world—met to discuss a topic important to all of us. We decided that it was the right moment to set out a mission statement articulating what we stand for, and strive for, in an increasingly fraught and complicated world. You can read that statement below. It’s the first time that Vogue has come together in this way, and we’re all very proud to have done so: While we might engage with our readers in many different languages, we can also speak with one voice.
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