Ethical and sustainable are two words you’re going to be hearing a lot more of in bridal fashion world in the coming years.
Thanks to mainstream news headlines and high profile TV documentaries like Stacey’ Dooley’s Fashions Dirty Secrets, 2019 has heralded the arrival of a new and much needed sense of urgency when it comes to consumerism – and that includes all that you consume and invest in when it comes to your wedding day.
We’re seeing far more brides query the provenance of her dress than ever before. We’re seeing couples querying what ethical credentials their suppliers have. And it’s vitally important that they do. For we all need to be making big, significant changes to our lifestyles and reduce our over consumption and carbon footprints to help our precious earth stand any chance of thriving in the decades, centuries and millennia to come.
From my own personal perspective, I’m seeing many more designers starting to change the marketing language they use, so that it is much more ethically appealing. I’m seeing designers moving over to using ethical fabrics and production process, which is all very encouraging. There are designers who have been doing this from the off however and whose entire business ethos comes from a sustainable and ethical business model. One such designer who I have special adoration for is London based Sanyukta Shrestha.
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We’ve shared many articles on Sanyukta and her ethical bridal fashion brand already but for our latest article, we wanted to pick her brains about the whole concept of ethical bridal fashion. Let’s see what this designer, passionate about the planet we live on, feels that ‘ethical’ means in her designer world…
What exactly do you mean when you use the term ‘ethical wedding dress’?
Ethical Fashion is deeply connected with key social, environmental and economic issues that aim to protect the planet, as well as the lives of those involved in the process of production. Ethical issues follow the life cycle of the product at every stage of the design process and supply chain that the brand follows. With that being said, an ethical wedding dress is made with environmentally-friendly textiles, minimal or zero waste throughout the production and transparency in the supply chain.
Each one of our wedding dresses is made with the use of eco fabrics like organic silk, hemp silk, bamboo, milk, and organic cotton. These sustainable fibres are renewable, biodegradable and carbon neutral and they can be produced and used without damaging the environment.
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In terms of production, we work with local artisans and social organisations in Nepal which provide jobs for marginalised women to keep the traditional craft alive. Most of our fabrics are sourced from Nepalese villagers and local women who tirelessly weave these natural fibres with a great amount of energy and patience. These resources are combined with the rest of the collection fabrics that we source from certified ethical and fair-trade suppliers in England.
Do you think that the term ‘ethical’ is used sometimes when it shouldn’t be?
There’s obviously not a universally agreed definition of the term so does it bother you when other people say something is ethical when, in your opinion, it isn’t?
It seems apparent for a brand to be respectful towards its employees, artisans and the environment but unfortunately, when it comes to our industry, this is not always the case. The rapid growth of fast fashion in the past few years and the change of what we call “consumer behaviour” urged us to be more transparent to our clients and start to educate them regarding the sustainable and ethical aspects of our industry.
The term ‘ethical’ is often a misconception to customers, not because they are not interested, but because they are not properly informed. As a sustainable and eco-friendly brand, for the past eight years, our goal is to open a dialogue between our brand and our customers, to invite them to learn how we choose our fabrics, create our dresses and sustain an ethical philosophy without jeopardising the high quality and luxury that our brides seek.
Usually, it is not the terms that create confusion, but the lack of transparency and answers from the brands to questions such as “Who made my wedding gown?” and “How eco-friendly are the materials you use?”. A growing number of consumers start to ask the right questions and we believe that a green future is on the horizon, but for sure there is still progress to be made.
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When brides are looking for an ethical dress, what elements do they need to look for?
(Production of fabrics, transport methods, treatment of workers, fair prices, use of off-cuts etc)
A couple of economic, environmental, and social criteria apply to ethical and eco-friendly brands, ranging from fair wages to animal rights.
We advise brides that are looking for an ethical dress to dare to ask questions. Transparency between the brands and the customers is a taboo, due to the fact that usually issues around working conditions, treatment of workers and waste, when revealed, are possibly going to affect negatively the popularity and profile of the company.
Success and economic growth should come with a sense of responsibility and a commitment to promote sustainability standards for fashion and raise awareness. Elements such as fabric sourcing, production of fabrics, suppliers, chemical use, energy efficiency, and waste should be focus points for every conscious bride.
Last but not least, it is important to point out that just because a wedding gown is handmade, that does not mean automatically that is ethical and sustainable – it is one thing for a dress to be beautifully made and another thing to be ethically made.
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For brides, what are the benefits of choosing an ethical dress?
Sanyukta Shrestha’s eco-friendly philosophy prioritises the health and wellbeing of the bride. We use natural fibres because we want high quality material that will feel great and protect our brides in the best way possible. By taking care of our brides, we take care of the environment.
The use of natural and wild fabrics, respond ideally to the need of a bride to feel comfortable and relaxed on her special day yet also cater to those brides who suffer from severe conditions such as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and Skin Hypersensitivity.
Apart from taking into consideration details such as the weather, skin, and age of the brides, our weddings gowns are hand-spun, hand-woven, hand-embroidered and hand-made from beginning to the end, providing a complete tailor-made approach to every one of our brides. The final result is a wedding gown that reflects the personality of our bride, fits impeccably, feels comfortable and is naturally exclusive.
Are ethical dresses more expensive?
A lot of people at the beginning have the popular misconception, that an eco-friendly dress is at a price that seems unrealistic for most of the brides, but in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Our price range for our sustainable and ethical wedding dresses range from £1500 to £3000 which is a very competitive price range compared to traditional bridal designers.
The design process at Sanyukta Shrestha is entirely based on creating a strong bond with the bride and ultimately design the wedding dress of her dreams. Because the process is so intimate, every single detail is tailor-made for the bride; we customize the silhouette, fabric and the price of the wedding dress.
With that being said, every wedding dress we make can be easily transformed into a new dress with some alterations from our team, in order to be more cost-effective and minimise the environmental cost to the minimum. The cycle of a garment for us is a never-ending creative challenge that we look forward to embrace and add value with our signature touch.
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In your opinion, what makes ethical dresses so very special?
We believe that is a number of things that make ethical dresses noteworthy. When it comes to our brand, the fact that we use wild and natural fibres which can be rarely found anywhere else is something that established our identity from the early days of our brand and made us differ. The hand-embroidered pieces are the result of a team of skilled embroidery artisans (no child labour has been used) that work under the supervision of Sanyukta, showcasing their incredible technique and combining the designer’s vision with their own Nepalese traditional craftsmanship.
Each of our creations encourages fair trade movements for local villagers and women in Nepal while minimising the impact on the environment, a commitment that transforms our mission for luxury and sustainable bridal wear into a life. The choice of wearing an ethical dress is a vote of trust and confidence to humanity and planet earth and that is what it drives the Sanyukta Shrestha team to deliver a wedding dress that every bride dreamt only in her wildest dreams.
Our ultimate goal is to spread love and happiness to our brides as well as to the people that make the brand alive.
Annabel View all Annabel's articles
Founder of Love My Dress. Passionate Podcaster and Editor. Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters and menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, walking, being outdoors and star gazing. She is fierce when it comes to championing talent within the wedding industry and when she's not working on Love My Dress, she supports her husband Philip in the running of the family's sustainable flower farm and floral design business, Moonwind Flowers. In 2013, she became a published author.
