Taking ethical steps while going Around The City…
We at Around the city love fashion and consider ourselves as fashion enthusiasts but we also want to do better for the environment. We believe in taking one step closer every time to protect our beautiful planet. Cities are beautiful, but as a responsible fashion brand, we must do our part in making sure they stay that way. We are a brand aware of the damage done to our planet by the fast fashion industry and the waste generated by it every year. So, we truly believe that we should be the change, we want to see and hence we want to be known as a brand who is responsible in our production processes and overall business model.
Also, transparency is important to us so we would like to go ahead and say that probably there isn’t such a thing called, “being 100% sustainable”, but as a brand we want to incorporate methods which are more ethical and conscious in their approach.
The fabrics we use at ATC
Organic cotton - Organic production systems replenish and maintain soil fertility which helps in reducing toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers and build biologically diverse agriculture.
Organic cotton is grown using methods that less damage on the environment. It is grown without using toxic, harmful and persistent pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Hence, organic cotton creates less greenhouse emissions and does not harm our planet compared to regular cotton. Also, it is grown in small scale in farms making it more ethical to use. Organic cotton is also softer, safer and better for the skin.
Viscose – Viscose fabric comes from cellulose which is extracted out of renewable plants and its elements such as bark, wood, or leaves of plants. Trees such as bamboo, eucalyptus and even pine for that matter. Its biodegradable fabric. Viscose is a better alternative than polyester to a certain extent.
Organic Linen- Linen is a biodegradable and recyclable fabric. This means it won’t add to the junk waste in our landfills. This fabric is made out of flax pants which grows without fertilizers and pesticides. It is also a renewable resource, hence is produced without damaging the environment. It is durable, strong and very long lasting fabric to incorporate in our wardrobes. Linen is also hypoallergenic and lets the skin breathe. Air passes freely and releases moisture very easily.
Dyeing- We at Around The City believe that our environment should not get impacted by our fashion choices and hence we use Azo-free dyes in our dyeing processes. Azo-free dyes do not contain toxic, harmful and carcinogenic compounds. This means that our products are safe for you and for your skin. Also this means, harmful chemicals aren’t released in our ecosystems during the production stages and water used is left unpolluted. This is great, as it doesn’t pose a threat to humans or animal life and our nature. This also means that using Azo-free dyes ensures our workers at the factory in Mumbai aren’t exposed to any toxic or harmful chemicals which are there in regular dyes. We at Around the city feel happy that we are able to contribute through our production processes to the environment in this way.
Printing- In our digital printing processes for the fabrics, we use GOTS certified inks.
GOTS – Global Organic Textile Standard is an internationally recognised organic textile standard. It ensures that organic status for textiles right from the initial stage of harvesting of raw materials through socially and environmentally responsible production processes all the way till labelling. This provides credible assurances to the consumer.
Packaging- Our corrugated Tuck Box is made out of recyclable material and is also biodegradable. Our stickers, thank you cards, hang-tags are made from recycled paper as well. Our paper which is used for wrapping is FSC certified. It is acid free as well as is printed by plant based ink.
Slow production and less quantities- At Around The City, we do small drops every 2-3 months. We place small orders per piece at our local workshop in Pune. We believe in less is more and in taking mindful steps in our production processes. Being a slow fashion brand, means to ensure low quantities are generated by keeping in mind high quality, well made products. We don’t like mass or bulk production. We like to keep it slow and simple yet beautiful and gorgeous!
