The Tidal Wave Of Sustainable Fashion Is Approaching, But Is Pakistan Catching Up?
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Loading... - Meera Purka
- 27 Jun 2022
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The global fashion industry had been expecting a reckoning, but that it would come in the shape of a global pandemic was unanticipated. For years, the case against fast fashion and exploitative production techniques had been accumulating, and when Covid forced everyone to halt, the moment for reinvention had arrived. Sustainability became more than a far-off ideal or a marketing buzzword, as brands realized it was entirely possible to slow down production while still making profits. While the progress has been slow, the fact that there has been progress at all is a relief.
As in the case of most cultural diffusions from the global north to the global south, it takes a while for countries like Pakistan to catch up to the latest discourse. Sustainable fashion has been in the West’s industrial lexicon for many years, but only now is the conversation stirring up in Pakistan. Although the Pakistani fashion industry continues to remain dominated by seasonal loose-fabric lawn sales, the ready-to-wear sector is seeing a slight shift in trends.
Generation pioneered the Pakistani ready-to-wear industry some 40 years ago. It’s very inception was a move towards sustainability, as the founders strove to reject imported (and non-biodegradable) polyester fabrics and instead opt for local cotton-based cloth instead. But today, Generation takes the commitment to sustainability a step further, and has set up a dedicated department for the cause. The brand’s new category, called ‘reGENERATE’, utilizes surplus fabrics to create new apparel in an effort to reduce waste from their main product lines.
The brand’s production cycle has two main seasons —summer/spring and winter/fall, as well as two additional collections for each of the two Eid festivals. Each season is then divided into further collections, all of which are planned a year in advance to figure out exactly how much fabric would be required. Khadija Rehman, the CEO of Generation says, “We limit our quantities because our production still employs a lot of analogue technologies such as hand block printing, handmade ajrak, applique etc, so there is a cap on how much we can make by hand and maintain our quality.”
Maintaining that Generation has always strived to maintain quality and durability, Khadija explains that the brand produces clothes created by craftspeople whose skills have been passed down from generation to generation, so that the clothes too, can be passed down from generation to generation. “Naturally, they come at a cost,” she says, adding, “But we’ve got such a loyal pool of customers who are willing to pay a premium because they know that our clothes are made to last.” Read More…
