At what point during your working career did you notice the incriminating challenges in the fashion industry? And what did that look like?
There were several challenges that I noticed in the fashion industry that made me rethink its values. One of the challenges is in a corporation, where fabric is initially programmed. You’ve essentially got different tiers of people who take care of different businesses in the garment industry. So when a garment is designed, it goes under prototyping and you decide what kind of a print goes on it. During prototyping itself, you have a lot of wastage which is generated because like I said, you have different tiers and have to go through an approval process - and if it is not approved by either marketing or the CEO or anybody across the tiers - then it is rejected.
What does this mean for the prototypes?
This means that the entire prototype including the printing, dyeing, and creation of the pieces are rejected and therefore goes to waste. The entire garment goes to waste and consequently the entire line goes to waste. So what happens is you go back to your drawing board and you remake pieces. So this I think is one of those unfortunate luxuries that the industry has where designs are created and rejected constantly.
Are there systems put in place to utilise these prototypes?
There are some systems put in place to sell your prototypes but sometimes this just doesn’t work. For example, I was in Bangladesh in 2011 to visit a factory in Dhaka to take a look at our pieces and there were certain prototypes that were made that were unwearable in a conservative country like Bangladesh. These were items of clothing like low cut spaghetti tops. I was speaking to the factory owner and she said she didn’t even know what to do with the prototypes as no one would wear them, so how would they begin to dispose of them? It is common that you will find in gulleys (alleys) in India where you would have people coming there to buy such export rejects but again, these were items like thongs. Not everyone wears thongs. So you’ve got pieces like that [thongs and camisoles] and it amounts to a huge loss which eventually ends up in a landfill because you don’t know what to do with it.
What other challenges did you notice within corporations?
Big companies usually have compliance programmes put in place to ensure that the factories they work with are in compliance with the law and are abiding by these laws in their day-to-day operations. What sometimes happens is that not all of these factories take up all the orders, so they work with two or three other buyers. Big companies are often unaware of this. These factories take orders from multiple big companies and then have to execute these pieces. In order to do this they get in touch with unregistered vendors who are people who have these units built in residences such as in a basement or garage which is crammed with machines. They get in touch with contractors who contact nomadic garment workers who essentially travel around the country fulfilling orders and moving onto the next unit. None of these units have any safety standards, they aren’t compliant or registered and therefore no one knows they exist. But they will do the pieces and give it to these companies.
Is this a human rights issue?
Of course this is a human rights issue. There are no safety standards as the buildings aren’t meant for industrial purposes and are unable to take the load of machines. The Rana Plaza incident is an example of this, where factories were actually built in a commercial residence which was built for shops. This was unregistered and they were outsourcing work at these factories and these middlemen involved just get a lot of these labourers and don’t pay them if they don’t finish their work. In India you see these labourers sleeping on the floor and you see kids tailoring.
How common is it to see children working in these factories?
It’s pretty common to see kids who are tailoring. They don’t want to go back to their villages because it’s better money this way. I’ve seen and spoken to kids who would be brought in by contractors and claim to be 18 or 19 even though they clearly look about 15. Moreover, they have no personal identification on them which makes this even harder to control which maintains this smokescreen when it comes to all the labourers.
This must be a pressing legal issue - can we solely blame these big companies?
Yes, of course. And this is completely unregulated and difficult to control. When you have this influx of people and unregistered people and companies which are functioning in this way, it is difficult to penetrate until you get the government involved and enact policy change. And no, we can’t just entirely blame a big brand because they are doing what they can with their compliance programmes but you can’t blame the small factories either for taking up extra orders because it comes at a cost. So how do we basically come to a middle ground - this is something we all need to really think about.
I had the honour of attending the Cultural Resistance webinar earlier this month and was blown away by your fashion creations made from biodegradable fabrics - especially the bio couture pieces. Could you tell me more about your creative process?
As a designer, I love combining science with art because I believe that working with scientists is the only way we can find a solution to the detriments of the fashion industry. Fashion is going through this entire change where it is not entirely about glamour but also about being something that has some substance to it. In my design process I evaluate my work at every stage and I realised that I like creating prints. One way for me to do this is to go to a commercial unit and use their printing techniques which would mean I have no idea what inks they were really using. I delved deeper into the printing process and found out how much water wastage is involved, the amount of toxic inks that are used, and how even simple oil paints have gotten into our ecosystem and have negatively impacted our marine life. So I began testing with chlorophyll. Now using chlorophyll for printing is not new - it has existed for a while and has been used by indigenous people. The only thing I’m doing is trying to bring back these techniques and hope that other designers will follow suit.
Could you tell me more about the art of water painting?
The art of water painting, which was practised in the Japanese royal courts, is a technique of printing which basically mitigates water wastage and water pollution. You essentially have a trough which you spread inks over and you have seaweed which acts as a coagulant which keeps the inks at the top. You dip the fabric into it and you basically get the entire print transferred on the fabric. This collection was actually selected for the UN Ocean Conference and will be showcased at the Monaco Ocean Week with the Prince Albert Foundation in March of next year.
The kaftan you created and placed on the Pakistan-India border bearing the flowers of both nations is such a beautiful and powerful message for peace. Why did you choose a kaftan to send this message and could you tell me about how you created it?
The reason I created the kaftan is because both countries have similar garments - kaftans and kurtas are similar and are worn by both men and women. The reason I went there was because I found an interesting dichotomy in that the day India was celebrating its independence, it put a lockdown on Kashmir. It was one of the largest internet blackouts and lockdowns and as a humanitarian I couldn’t understand why. I decided to look at the national flowers of Pakistan and India - the lotus and the jasmine - and dedicated one half of the kaftan to the lotus and the other half to the jasmine. I was taken to the border by a very kind taxi driver who picked me up from the airport. There was no internet, no GPS, no electricity, and it was impossible for a woman to travel around given the circumstances as it would have been very dangerous.
What was it like?
It was a very sad state. We went through the markets and the people there were looking so dejected. From the conversations I had with people it was clear that people were being careful about speaking up against the lockdown and the Indian government’s decision. When I went to the border I spoke to the Border Security Force (BSF) guards and they said that the banyan tree which is growing right at the border belongs to both countries. I found this so inspiring because the banyan tree - like the kaftan - is significant to both countries. The banyan tree and kaftan are things which are equally shared and it made me think that when you have so many commonalities - what is separating the nations and why can’t people come together?
That’s a beautiful way to put it. Could you tell me what sustainability means to you?
Sustainability to me is about cohabitation. It is about how we cohabit with earth and humanity and living alongside earth. I have always spoken about how I believe sustainability starts at home. Start with your food. If you can’t finish what is on your plate you aren’t being sustainable. It starts with basic things like brushing your teeth and not wasting water, simple things of that sort. When you start with things like that, you will eventually take it to your wardrobe and clothes and ask yourself things like: do I really need this? Does this serve its purpose? Or how can I extend the life of what I have? For example, items of clothing like saris are sustainable. This is because they go on for generations and it's got this value attached to it - so why can’t we make clothes of that sort?
As a student I find it hard not to contribute to fast fashion given its affordability and convenience. What can individuals like myself feasibly do to promote sustainable fashion?
That’s a great question actually, because I do understand that with students investing into sustainable fashion can be challenging. But I firmly believe that everyone can take a look at their wardrobe and ask themselves if what they need is really important. For example, I have five pairs of jeans and I only really use two pairs. For those who have the time, I suggest upcycling your clothes. I have a lot of pots made out of denim, but I understand not many people have the time to do that. Being wary of your purchases and investing money into the longevity of clothes is important and we can all make that change.
What is your favourite fashion piece that you’ve created and why?
That’s a great question but a very difficult one. I don’t want to say that I’ve created any favourite piece because then I’d probably stop creating. For as long as I live I'm going to keep creating and they’re all my favourites. I have milestone pieces, so as a zeitgeist designer I try to capture the moment and the era in my garments. So you would know this was the movement that happened at this point in time by looking at this piece of fashion that was created. I try to capture that essence in my clothes- whether it is a movement for climate change or women’s rights - I capture the essence and translate it into my clothing.
Could you tell me more about the piece you created for UN women?
I created an illusion kaftan for UN Women with the names of women who are deceased because they were raped and murdered. From afar it looked like a naked woman but as you look closer you can see all the names of women across the kaftan. I had a fair share of criticism about this piece, where individuals had actually asked me if it was degrading to the victims to have their names on a naked woman’s body. But why would you find a woman’s body degrading? I think it was an interesting piece to see people’s reactions to it as well.
What does the future of sustainable fashion look like to you?
The future of sustainability in the fashion industry is definitely taking a huge leap forward. You’ve got the launch of the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, companies looking out for sustainable directors and managers, more individuals demanding transparency in their supply chains, e.t.c. Something I predict is that offshoring won’t happen as much. I think people will start investing in their countries and cities and make that their manufacturing hub. The reason I’m saying this is because during the pandemic there was massive upheaval in the garment industry with clothes being stranded in countries like Bangladesh and India. What’s happening right now is that The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) wants to make cities sustainable. I think that there will be a lot of investment done within the countries whereby countries will start becoming more sustainable within themselves.
This sounds like countries will place more responsibility on themselves - is that a good thing?
Yes, definitely. And this is a good thing. I’m not saying there won’t be any more exports or imports of raw materials because India is the largest producer of cotton in the world - but I doubt that the fast fashion movement will last for very long.
Why is that?
Because I think it’ll be consumers like you and your generation who will start compelling fast fashion brands to move away from their old ways of doing things. For example, consumers who want plant-based milk have forced brands to rethink their values and reinvest in alternative milks like soya, almond, and oats. Consumers like you and I have a lot of power in the way companies and brands invest their resources into what will sell. The same can be said for the fashion industry. It's about making a shift in your patterns - which isn’t difficult. It’s about consuming with responsibility.
To read more about Runa and her incredible work as a fashion environmentalist check out her website and Instagram.
You can see images of her beautiful collections here.