Homegrown Wonders: Make A Green Difference With these Sustainable Brands

India Imprints is a concept store, started by Aparna Phadke earlier this year. In addition to stocking their own ethnic-wear label (Indo Mood) as well as a couple of other brands, they also collaborate with artisans from across the country to create one-of-a-kind pieces that you really wouldn’t find elsewhere. They’re all about giving back and empowering traditional craftsmen (and women), and we think that their products (clothing, accessories, and beauty products) are worth the buy.

Started by Hitesh Parwani and Dinesh Relwani, Tribe offers a range of authentic wooden, and combination (semi-wooden) sunglasses, watches, and other accessories (in-the-making). Made from a wide variety of hardwood, softwood, and re-purposed particle fibre wood; Tribe’s products are both eco-friendly, and sustainable.

One of our favourite new finds, Ek Dori is a homegrown fashion label started by Abhilasha Mehta. From linen hand-embroidered saris to up-cycled dresses and hair accessories – Ek Dori aims to be as zero-waste as possible, and will often re-purpose scraps of clothing into fashionable statement pieces. Each piece is one-of-a-kind in its own right, and almost every item of clothing has vintage materials incorporated into it.

Happy Roots is a national award-winning social enterprise started by Reema Sathe in 2015. It partners with small-holding farmers at the grassroots level to produce fair-trade handcrafted natural snack food products. Every purchase of their products puts money back into developing the skills of these farmers and women, which we think is a cause worth supporting.

Outliers Clothing Co. is an upcoming sustainable and ethical organic clothing company, founded by Rohit Oswal and Tejas Shah. A homegrown Pune label, their t-shirts are made from 100% non-GMO certified organic cotton, which is dyed without the use of bleach or chemicals. Available in solid, polo, slubs (in slub material, the threads are thicker in places – giving it more texture), graphics printed and pocket-style, these minimalist tees can be worn as-is, layered to build a ‘look’. We love that they’re eco-friendly, and also super-soft on the skin. Ideal for Indian summers, they’re priced between INR 700 to INR 1300, and you can shop via their Facebook page.

Upasana was started in Auroville in 1997, and has since then been a strong advocate of conscious fashion. Located inside Sunderban Resort & Spa in KP’s lane 1, they aim to promote fashion as a sustainable way of life, and not a luxury few of us can enjoy.  They reuse waste materials, cut gorgeous silhouettes out of khadi and use hand-woven materials and hand-embroidery. They work with farmers and women in villages, thus providing employment to many village communities. 

Adrish is a tiny shop tucked away into a corner of lane 5 in Koregaon Park, a concept store that believes in a zero-waste, organic, plastic-free life. Ffrom wooden toothbrushes and cutlery to handspun khadi kurtis and zero waste clutches, this store has everything you need to opt for a sustainable, eco-friendly lifestyle. 

All the health freaks out there, this wellness brand is surely going to blow your minds with its amazing organic food products. Taking you back to your original roots is Roots by Ritika Mathani, a health food brand based out of Pune. Their bestsellers include superfood-berry bites, homemade granola in a jar, energy bites, vegan choco-chip cookies, expresso balls, granola bars, superfood brownies, artisanal healthy breads etc. You can also enjoy sweet treats such as nut butter bonbons, chocolate energy cups, and a variety of cakes such as date and walnut tea cake, chocolate cake with pumpkin pie frosting, vegan-keto flour-less chocolate cake etc. Eat clean, already!

The brainchild of Irisha Poonawalla, Irisha Originals aka IO is making waves with its intricate appeal and colourful designs. Starting at just INR 150, you will find super stylish statement jewellery pieces and accessories that are conscious, sustainable and crafted by local artisans across India. Even the packaging is sustainable. 

Love sustainability? These are some of the online brands that are good for the earth. Take a look and shop away!