A Looming Terror Fast Fashion Digging Graves For Dying Traditions Or Is It Suicide?

South India enjoys a rich heritage and is a home to a myriad of traditional textiles and ancient crafts. The world celebrates this country for their range of Kanchipuram silks, handwoven Pochampally and Sambalpuri Ikats, Sungudi dyed fabrics from Madurai and luscious Cashmere. However, this marvel isn’t realized amongst India’s resident population with the rise of millennial consumer culture. Fast Fashion poses as a tough competition to traditional textile laborers, and this phenomenon conceals the rightful acknowledgment that indigenous craftsmen deserve.

Fast Fashion in India, especially the South, portrays a scenario that not many are aware of. India has traditionally been a tough host to global brands like H&M and Zara, due to regulations, lack of high quality retail space or simply the readiness of consumers[1]. In a land where kurtas and saris are prevalent as forms of traditional attire, these global brands that sell contemporary, western-influenced garb face a cultural barrier.

Added to that, India isn’t a typical example of a population that is engrossed in fashion. The concept is rather stagnant and the style of Indian traditional garments can remain the same for as long as 2-3 seasons and sometimes even longer. The market for fast fashion in Southern India is one that offers a variety of tailored clothing in massive quantities and forecasted trends on a larger scale have absolutely no effect on the primitive industry.

According to a study conducted by Fashion United India, the traditional textiles and craft sector accounts for almost 175 crore rupees (2.83 million US dollars). This is significantly reduced by almost 2% each year, due to the gradual shift to fast fashion replicas of authentic textiles[2].

Fast Fashion has incidentally replaced authentic traditional textiles with cheaper variants. Pure Silk is expensive and consumers opt for synthetic alternatives such as rayon; fabrics that could be easily washed. Original Ikats and Block printed textiles have no place in a customer’s shopping list, and are often replicated through digital printing.

A survey that was conducted over a sample of 128 women ranging between the ages of 18 to 25, around 64% admitted to opting for fast fashion products due to cheap costs and easier maintenance. “The care for indigenous textiles is a tedious task. Not every middle class consumer can afford to have their silk clothes dry-cleaned and no one has the time to hand wash hand-embroidered ensembles”, said one individual. Yet around 48% mentioned that their families were consistent consumers of traditional textiles.

Saravana Stores is one of Chennai’s biggest retail units for Indian traditional wear. Known to have ‘the cheapest prices in town’ since 1970, these fashion vendor giants have stores packed every day. The manufacture of traditional garments sold in Chennai is attributed to a vast number of laborers in the district of Tirupur. With almost 2 million employees, the fast fashion production exceeds the population of indigenous craftsmen that amount to less than a couple thousands in the South, namely regions such as Kanchipuram and Madurai.

A Saravana Stores Outlet in Chennai (top) and a Tirupur Manufacturing Unit (bottom)

The same study also denoted that the lack of awareness of traditional textiles was also a contributing factor to the dip in the manufacture of handmade craft. 20% of the sampling mentioned that they didn’t know the difference between Kanchipuram wovens and other wovens. Bandana Tewari, Fashion Features Editor for Vogue India, adds on by saying that the country’s heritage and artistry are marketed better by foreigners than its own people, in her Op-Ed article, “Make in India”.

On discussing this issue with Dr. Vasantha Muthian, Associate Professor or the National Institute of Fashion Technology in Chennai and Textile Expert, she explained otherwise.”Indigenous craft was practiced by only a certain sect of craftsmen in the South and consumer culture is NOT the only reason behind the decline of traditional craft. Some families have been employed in the field for as many as four-five generations and the art form is still treated as a family secret. Kanchipuram Silk Weaving applies an innovative technique which involves twice the manpower as opposed to normal weaving and is very much restricted within the family’s bloodline. It’s a laborious process that requires a lot of hands but still makes do with just two. The output vastly differs and this pushes people to buy replicas”, she states.

A Kanchipuram silk weaver setting his loom prior to weaving

She adds that with the decline in the market for traditional handicrafts, craftsmen find it difficult to make a livelihood, in order to support themselves. Mr. Alagappan, a master craftsmen and silk weaver living in the Kanchipuram district mentions that the salary received from weaving does not suffice for his wife and three children. “Despite the social benefits I receive from the Arignar Anna Organization (an Organization established by the Tamil Nadu government to provide livelihood to indigenous craftsmen), I work two other labor jobs to sustain daily life.”, he says. “I don’t want my children to be weavers. There’s no money in it. I can’t even afford the textiles I weave”.

Mr. Karthikeyan Balaraman, also a Professor of Textile Design at the National Institute of Fashion Technology in Chennai, states that indigenous craftsmen, themselves, are not aware of the value of their craft. “Co-Optex is a famous retail establishment that supports the livelihood of craftsmen. They pay their craftsmen for what they produce and not just for the labor they receive from them. Also, they educate people employed in the field of the value of traditional weaving. It’s an extensive network of scholars and craft enthusiasts that make craftsmen understand that what they do needs to continue”. He also mentioned design hubs such as Porgai in the Dindukal district and Upasana in Pondicherry work towards the same goal.

Women employed in Lambadi(Tribal) Embroidery for Porgai (top) and Women Craftsmen employed in Hand in Hand India (bottom)

Mr. V. Badrinarayanan, Chief Executive Officer of “Hand in Hand India”, a women’s Self Help Group association, helps to keep traditional textiles and craft alive by teaching and employing women in the field of weaving and embroidery (which is primarily a male-dominated area). The establishment also holds bi-annual exhibitions where the women can sell their textiles to the public themselves. “This makes the merchandise cheaper as there is no middle-men and this creates a straight link between the consumer and the craftsmen.”, he adds.

With every initiative that is being taken to support the livelihood of traditional craft and the people employed in the field, it is imperative for consumers to realize the benefits of investing in authentic handmade textiles. Striking a balance within the domestic textile production scene goes a long way. Whether or not India supports seasonal changes in fashion, the growing millennial consumption can still provide space to co-exist with reviving crafts. South India sure has the man-power; all it needs now is the will-power.

Sources -

[1] Saurabh Uboweja, "Fast Fashion Forward. Is India ready & who will be affected?", 5 Oct 2015, ETretail.com, Web, 1 Dec 2015, http://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/re-tales/fast-fashion-forward-is-india-ready-who-will-be-affected/932

[2] n.a, "Fashion industry statistics India", n.d, fashionunited.in, Web, 1 Dec 2015, https://fashionunited.in/fashion-industry-statistics-india

Bandana Tewari, "Op-Ed | Making 'Made in India' Matter", 17 June 2015, bussinessoffashion.com, Web, 1 Dec 2015, http://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/opinion/op-ed-making-made-in-india-matter

Sharanya CR, "7 stylish statements", 20 June 2015, timesofindia.com, Web, 13 Dec 2015 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/fashion/designers/7-stylish-statements/articleshow/46865310.cms

Murali Krishnan, "The art of weaving dies a slow death in India", 22 Dec 2011, dw.com, Web, 5 Dec 2015, http://www.dw.com/en/the-art-of-weaving-dies-a-slow-death-in-india/a-6686399

n.a, "Tamil Nadu to improve condition of handloom weavers", 1 May 2013, fibre2fashion.com, Web, 13 Dec 2015, http://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/textile-news/newsdetails.aspx?news_id=145976

Interviewed Mr.V.Badrinarayanan from Hand in Hand India - http://www.hihindia.org/

Interviewed Mr. Karthikeyan Balaraman and Dr. M. Vasantha from the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Chennai

Received audio recordings of the Weaver Alagappan through a friend who visited Kanchipuram for a craft documentation project.