We analyse how sustainable fashion brands skillfully market their ideas and convey their brand ethos to customers.
In this digital age, Instagram has become the canvas on which brands paint their narratives, showcasing not just their products but their ethos, values and unique journeys. As of January 2023, with 229 million daily active users, India boasts the world’s largest Instagram audience, as reported by Statista. This social media powerhouse has evolved beyond a mere visual platform; it has become a significant e-commerce avenue, enabling emerging brands with modest resources to connect with a broader audience through compelling storytelling.
Our examination brings to light a thriving landscape of over 500 registered sustainable brands in India, each intricately weaving narratives around alternative materials and embodying the principles of the 7Rs of Recycling. Brands that craft authentic, relevant and distinctive stories have the potential to attract and retain customers who align with their values and aspirations. A compelling storyline becomes a powerful tool for brand differentiation, especially in a saturated and competitive market landscape.
Join Apparel Resources as we decode the Instagram feeds of 10 distinguished sustainable fashion brands from India. From Okhai to No Nasties, Doodlage to Oshadi, each brand, while unified by the banner of sustainable fashion, distinctly shapes its messaging and unique selling proposition (USP). Our analysis delves into how these brands skillfully market their ideas and convey their brand ethos to customers. If you’re launching a sustainable brand or aiming to enhance your social media presence, this is a must-read.
1. Okhai
Followers: 350K
Okhai offers a diverse range of products, including apparel, home decor, furnishings, kitchen and dining items, all crafted from 100 per cent sustainable materials like cotton and jute. Established by Tata Chemicals Society for Rural Development (TCSRD), Okhai aims to revive traditional handicrafts not only in Gujarat but also in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The brand asserts its impact on 30,000 artisans in India. Okhai’s core message revolves around a deep connection to Indian heritage and roots. The brand proudly associates itself with local artisans, portraying them as heroes. Most of its social media posts feature detailed pictures highlighting the names and craftsmanship of the artisans. One specific Instagram post explicitly introduces the makers: Mubin Khatri (Ajrakh Artisan), Raju Ben and Reshma Ben (Crochet Artisans), Laxmi Ben (Appliqué Artisan) and Jassi Ben (Embroidery Artisan). Another post featuring actor Alia Bhatt wearing an outfit designed by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla at an award function in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, mentions, “The fusion of Indian crafts in a modern context is a powerful statement and helps bring its skilled artisans to the forefront. We’re delighted to witness Ajrakh, a 400-year-old traditional craft from Kutch, making its mark globally!”
2. Buna Studio
Followers: 202K
Offering exquisite handmade dresses for women, Buna Studio works only with natural forms of fabrics – mulmul, handwoven and handspun cotton, chanderi and linen sourced from different regions in India. The brand consciously avoids the use of synthetics like rayon, polyester, nylon, acrylic or spandex that do not decompose. Buna Studio often presents dresses in their kora form, freshly woven, showcasing earthy, subtle and raw-natural shades. Most garments remain untouched by dyes, preserving their original form and colour, resulting in a collection primarily in various shades of white.
It markets a diverse range of dresses including the Grape Basket Tiered Dress, Maggie’s Farm Dress, Blue Bird Peasant Dress, Heirloom Wrap Dress, Sweetpea Dress, Baccara Merino Shirt Dress and so on. Regarding the creation process, the brand explains to its followers, “Each season, we design customised wooden blocks inspired by the quiet and ecstatic beauty of nature. These blocks are then hand-pressed onto the softest fabrics by the expert hands of our artisans to bring you your favourite dresses.”
3. The Summer House
Followers: 108K
Based in Bengaluru, The Summer House asserts that 97 per cent of its clothing is crafted from natural fibres. Its denim range exclusively utilises recycled fabric, employing an entirely mechanised process without electricity. The swimwear line is crafted from recycled fishing nets transformed into econyl and all fabrics undergo dyeing in facilities with wastewater management. Highlighting their efforts, a post mentions, “We want you to know that great care has gone into making these clothes. The materials when not certified by a leading global sustainability organisation are handmade on looms by artisans in our country. No azo dyes are used. No synthetic materials are used, except recycled econyl for swimwear. Every person along the way is paid fair wages and treated with dignity and kindness. We are here to tell you that we are doing our best for you.” Another post states, “While we lead with design, the foundation of our process is always sustainability. Certified organic cotton and linen, khadi and recycled denim, handcraft, printing and embroidery – every step is mindfully considered and intelligently chosen.”
4. Doodlage
Followers: 81K
The brand’s distinguishing factor lies in its utilisation of deadstock and factory waste textiles in making 100 per cent of its collection. It even upcycles its own waste by processing them into bags, home products and packaging material. When it comes to post-production waste, the brand collaborates with various exporters and manufacturing units. With millions of tonnes of waste readily available in the vicinity of Delhi, the brand expresses the irony of being ‘spoilt for choice’ and strategically selects suppliers based on the specific collection they aim to create. For post-consumer waste based recycled fabrics, it sources readymade fabrics from some vendors, while developing its own fabrics using certified recycled yarns with other units. Doodlage has crafted an array of products, including organic cotton T-shirts, upcycled printed dresses, patched jackets and dresses made from deadstock poplin. A notable post featuring the Sue Printed Set states, “The set is made in Delhi, India with a fair wage factory. The factory specialises in small scale production and manages factory waste by upcycling scraps into patchwork fabric.” The brand’s posts also emphasises its strong connection with artisans. Talking about its unisex shirts, a post reads, “Batik (a method of printing patterns on cloth, in which wax is put on the cloth before it is put in dye) for these shirts is handcrafted by artisans in a village near Bhuj, Gujarat. Working with local craftspeople enables us to decentralise our supply chain, providing artisans with the opportunity to lead more wholesome lives in their own communities.”
5. No Nasties
Followers: 39.1K
The Goa-based brand makes 100 per cent organic, fair trade, vegan clothing. Embracing a zero-waste philosophy, the brand claims it goes beyond style, introducing compostable packaging to harmonise with nature. It uses 100 per cent recycled fabric, organic cotton and coconut shell buttons. The brand adopts a three-pronged sustainability strategy. Firstly, it minimises its environmental impact by using 100 per cent organic cotton and maintaining a fully local supply chain. Secondly, the brand calculates the remaining carbon footprint of each product and compensates by investing in carbon offset projects for solar power, wind energy and reforestation. Lastly, the brand claims “We offset not just 100 per cent of the footprint, but 300 per cent. Yup, 300 per cent. And, we also plant three trees for every product you buy.” The brand projects its garments as carbon footprint superheros. For instance, while promoting its robe on Insta – the brand claims, “Carbon footprint 12.27 kilos, carbon offset 36.81 kilos, water saved 268 litres.” Catchy, isn’t it?
6. Refash
Followers: 16.7K
Refash is the largest global platform for upcycled fashion and accessories. It promotes and retails collections of global designers, brands and creative artisans who create contemporary pieces of fashion from old, pre-loved materials. Founder Akanksha Kaila Akashi emphasises the meticulous onboarding process, involving detailed conversations with potential brands. When feasible, Refash’s team visits the brand’s studio to witness first-hand the creative process and practices. A comprehensive questionnaire delves into aspects such as raw material sourcing, suppliers for post-consumer and post-industrial waste, waste origins and quality control measures. This commitment ensures that every brand aligns with Refash’s dedication to sustainability and upcycled fashion. Refash actively shares stories and collections of emerging sustainable brands on its Instagram page. A recent post reads, “Meet @sonicasarna : A brand where conscious fashion meets artful sustainability! Discover a world of regenerative textile practices, zero-waste design and ethical craftsmanship. Sonica’s limited edition collections are a blend of beauty, integrity and environmental conservation.”
| Our Instagram campaigns are thoughtfully curated to reflect our dedication to sustainability. We consistently share behind-the-scenes glimpses of our production processes, the stories of the people behind our products and the journey of each garment, all of which underscore our commitment to ethical and sustainable fashion practices. This transparency not only builds trust with our audience but also educates them about the importance of conscious consumption in today’s world.”
Kriti Tula, Founder, Doodlage |
7. Oshadi
Followers: 14.1K
Oshadi is a seed-to-stitch supply chain initiative based around a 250-acre regenerative cotton farm in the village of Erode, Tamil Nadu. It houses an entire seed-to-stitch supply chain in which fibres are farmed, spun, naturally dyed, woven and sewn all within a ten-kilometre radius. The farm practices regenerative methods for growing cotton and indigo, focusing on replenishing the soil with nutrients and enhancing its carbon-capturing capabilities. Initially established in 2016 by founder Nishanth Chopra as a womenswear label, Oshadi has evolved to offer a diverse range of menswear clothing, including shirts, trousers, tees and jackets, while maintaining its core commitment to sustainability. Talking about its tees and trousers in a post, the brand highlights, “Yarn for this fabric is made from 100 per cent pre-consumer waste generated during our regenerative cotton spinning process.”
8. B Label by BOHECO
Followers: 11.8K
Describing itself as India’s first sustainable Hemp fashion and lifestyle brand, B Label by BOHECO ensures all its fabrics are sourced from GOTS-certified facilities. “We’ll leave the search for Planet B to Elon Musk. Meanwhile, we have designed Plan B. A plan drafted by Fabrics of the Future,” read a statement from the brand. Every fabric of the brand undergoes dyeing using azo-free dyes, also known as reactive dyes, devoid of nitrogen-based compounds. Reactive dyes are 70 per cent easier for fabrics to absorb, reducing the water wastage in nearby water bodies. For trims, the brand sources its labels, elastic, fusing and threads from OEKO-TEX certified suppliers. A post by the brand, which sells womenswear, menswear and accessories, cheekily posted a picture on its Instagram handle with a person holding a board reading Bhaang ke kapade (clothes made of Hemp).
| Our approach is that of camaraderie. We are not here to lecture about sustainability. Our communication is designed to share the benefits of being mindful, but more importantly to make it desirable for our customer base via design and storytelling. Eventually fashion is about looking and feeling good, sustainable or not, so we lead with that and back it up with how responsibly the garment is made. We regularly do a Knowledge Series that helps people care better for their garments, choose better material and be kinder to the planet. We also use User Generated Content to highlight how real customers feel while wearing sustainable fabrics.”
A statement from |
9. Maati by Neha Kabra
Followers: 10.7K
The label’s approach is towards sustainable fashion and it is reflected through the natural fibre clothing that it promotes. The handloom khadi fabric used by the label is produced by the Ganai Family in West Bengal, with minimum water and no electricity. The other natural powerloom fabric is upcycled from wasted cotton yarns and is also made with a conscious vision. The colours used for dyeing and block printing are also completely natural and environmentally friendly. The blue is obtained from Indigo, yellow from turmeric, red from sindoor flower, black from iron oxide and white from limestone. These colours, along with plant gum, are used for all the projects at Maati. The garments are then put together by local artisans in Rajasthan. Explaining the process of eco printing, the brand shared a video with a caption, “Select leaves, position on fabric like a canvas, wrap into a bundle and immerse in a gentle dye bath. Watch as nature paints its intricate patterns on textiles.”
10 .Earthy Route
Followers: 4.9K
Earthy Route aims to provide better clothing alternatives using two of the most sustainable fabrics – lyocell and linen. It primarily caters to men’s clothing, but has a limited collection for women too in the western casual category. Additionally, the brand adopts environmentally conscious practices in its packaging by using Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper-based envelopes that are not only reusable but also compostable at the end of their lifecycle. Furthermore, Earthy Route claims to recover over 75 per cent of fabric waste and upcycle those into useful products such as bags, laptop sleeves, hair ties etc. The emerging brand states in one of its posts, “We are humbled to present a collection of Classic Striped shirts, in 100 per cent handloom cotton by skilled artisans in Dhandalsa, West Bengal. As we progress on this journey, we hope to acquire more knowledge and get to know our handloom sector better.”
