28 February,2021 07:53 AM IST | Mumbai | Anju Maskeri
Mehek Malhotra, one of the contributing artists, says the idea of doing a comic was to use a language that speaks to consumers of fast fashion. Pic/Shadab Khan
Over the years, we have witnessed a gradual but discernible shift from discarding clothes to repairing, reusing or even renting them. But, statistics show it's not enough. According to reports, the global fashion industry emits 1.7 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year - more than the total emission from flights and shipping across the world in one year. To shine a light on the fragility of the planet and the environmental cost of fast fashion, a bunch of artists from the country have joined hands to create artworks on the subject. The comic strips focus mainly on the water consumption by the fashion industry. Organised by ReFashion Hub, a collective working to bring together multiple stakeholders invested in wastewater reuse and management in the textile industry, this artistic intervention is aimed at bringing climate-action to fashion.
As a child, Mali remembers being more excited about receiving the clothes her cousin would hand her than buying a new piece of garment. "I have always practiced sustainable fashion without quite knowing it," she says. Her research involved devouring YouTube videos on the topic and reading up on the fashion industry. "And, the more you learn about how things work in the industry, the more you're exposed to the selfish, money-hungry side of human beings running giant companies." The T-shirt in her comic has a "t-shirt quote" written on it with a smiley face. "It may not look harmful to you, but it's got its ways to add more bad to the planet. T-shirts with basic quotes are so redundant, I hope we can do better as cloth-wearers and take a step to reduce the damage being done to our planet because of decisions made by giants."
The lifecycle of textiles and supply chains has always been an area of interest for Bhasin. Understanding the workings of a "thirsty" fashion industry, therefore, seemed right up her street. "They [the fashion industry] produce 20 per cent of the world's wastewater. Having said that, this is a moment when many fashion companies are being examined for their consumption of water, and many have started making claims about sustainable products. Younger consumers have the potential to be more introspective about what they buy." Through her artwork, Bhasin has chosen to "exaggerate the idea of the impact of fashion wastewater". "What if your environment could literally talk back to you about the way you treat it? Who would be the spokesperson for the Ulhas river, which, earlier this year, turned turquoise, black and
red due to textile dye? If I were haunted by a group of frogs that had been dyed different colours due to my questionable fashion choices, I would certainly think twice about buying anything." Bhasin says her comic is a nudge to be more mindful of consumption choices.
"Sustainable fashion is not just about the materials, but also about how often you choose to buy clothes, and how you choose to discard them. I want to remind people that everything we do has an effect, even if we can't see it."
There's nothing quite like humour to drive home a message, even if the subject is as serious as colossal water wastage. "I think the world is scary, which is why humour is the best way to tell a story," says Paul. Her comic tells the story of an average t-shirt and what goes into it, coupled with comparisons to show how much resources go into creating it, and how large a carbon footprint that leaves on the earth, and ways to reduce it. "In the process, we're also critiquing the nature of capitalism and the reduced autonomy it leaves for the individual in this system to be able to make any considerable change."
The project helped Paul explore the ethics of fashion, functionality of clothing, rise of thrift shops, and what makes up eco-consciousness. "We've grown accustomed to our textbook definition of water conservation - turn off your taps, ground water harvesting, etc., but understanding how the industrial complex, specifically the fashion
industry works and uses water, is important as consumers play a vital role in the fast economy."
Deshpande's comic portrays a garment worker making a âSave Water' T-shirt. The irony is unmissable. "It's an attempt to show the hypocrisy of the fast fashion industry, the environmental cost and the water pollution that tags along [pun intended]." Deshpande, who works in the digital communications space, believes the connection between production of cotton apparel and water wastage is grossly underreported. "More than 2,700 litres of water is used to consume one cotton T-shirt! If this is not absurdity, what is? A lot of luxury brand companies have admitted to destroying unsold apparels and accessories, instead of selling them at a lower price, just to protect the brand image and maintain exclusivity. Ninety-three billion cubic tonnes of water is used every year and the majority of the clothes are dumped into landfills. Yes, the clothes might be cheap, but no one actually talks about the price environment has to pay."
The artwork also addresses the professionals in the fashion industry, goading them to consider sustainable options as well as speak up about the issue of fast
fashion wastage.
