he times they are a-changin’. As the world slowly, gradually works towards embracing a greener future, both producers and consumers are increasingly becoming more environmentally conscious. Attitudes may vary and we may still have a long way to go when it comes to minimizing the impact of human actions on the ecosystem, but with increased awareness and more eco-fr­iendly efforts, we are finally starting to move in the right direction.

The fashion industry – or at least the more responsible elements of it – too has made efforts towards reducing their environmental footprint in the form of sustainable fashion, a movement that aims to minimize the negative impact of fashion-related products on the planet. It’s a complex challenge, but one that certain labels are trying to tackle. Among these eco-minded companies is GENERATION, a brand that has been offering women ready-to-wear clothing since its inception in 1983 and is dedicated towards making its operations sustainable.

“Back in the ‘80s, there was an influx of stitched garments in polyester fabrics,” Khadija Rahman – a director at GENERATION and the daughter of Saad and Nosheen Rahman who founded the brand – tells Instep. “Despite being trendy and colourful, what we felt was missing was garments in cotton-based fabrics. Hence, we started a small GENERATION shop, and the rest is history.” Craft-based work was subsequently added in an effort to help people experience “the unique beauty of each town, each village, and each region of Pakistan”. “[Each area] has its own special crafting techniques, like ajrak, hand embroidery, applique techniques, and so on,” Khadija elaborates. “We came up with the vision that we wanted to make and sell clothes with crafts and skills passed on from generation to generation to be worn by current and future generations.”

The company soon realized the need for sustainability in fashion – what with the industry being responsible for, according to some estimates, between four and ten percent of global greenhouse gas emissions per year – and vowed to take steps to minimize their carbon footprint.

“Our inspiration for embracing sustainable fashion originates from our inception,” Khadija says. “We wanted durable materials without compromising on craft and quality. The longevity of our clothes, combined with our unique model of ‘new designs in limited quantities’, marked the beginning of our long journey. With changing times, our brand grew from a shop to a full-fledged retail empire, so our impact on the environment became a cause of concern for us. We took on several initiatives to combat what we could, but then realised we can do more.”

Among their efforts was shunning synthetics, recycling leftovers and trims, and repurposing fabric cutting waste. A team was put together to help the company research their impact on the environment; based on their work, the brand is on its way to calculating their carbon footprint and waste. “From our production to campaigns,” Khadija states, “we’ve rolled out initiatives after initiatives, bringing us closer to becoming a sustainable brand. The biggest is reGENerate, a cluster of products we expanded to make our other lines zero waste by utilising surplus fabrics and CMT (Cut, Make, Trim) waste for apparel and accessories.”

GENERATION has created a sorting centre that assesses waste and sorts out threads and fabrics that can be used again. That fabric is used for sampling motifs, making apparel and accessories, and much more. Their fashion sets have also been zero-fabric waste. “Our pre-spring summer campaigns used fabric that was already sourced for our apparel and was cut to the lengths of our cutting table so that it could be used in a way that caused no wear and tear on the fabric,” Khadija reveals. “Once done, we sent it back to our production halls so that apparel could be made!”

Additionally, a no single use plastic policy has been introduced in their production lines. “We have introduced custom made bags out of parachute-like material and crates to ensure clothes are protected while in-transit from department to department during each process of production,” she adds.

“Any new initiative or policy we have introduced internally and externally,” Khadija explains, “had to be weighed: can it be a long-term policy or a short-term fix? Is it leading us to better governance or will it backfire or affect another initiative? And so on. Looking at things microscopically and holistically has been key for us.”

Does eco-fashion have an impact on the prices of their products? Yes, Khadija replies. “Although we’ve maintained our prices in comparison to the market, our handmade embroideries, rare specialized techniques, specifically woven fabrics all come at a cost.”

Higher prices aren’t the only thing eco-conscious companies have to contend with. Sustainable fashion has also run into controversies, such as greenwashing – brands using misleading or false claims to give the semblance of eco-friendliness – and critics can be cynical about eco-agendas in marketing strategies or see them as a mere marketing ploy. What is Khadija’s take on the complexities and controversies of sustainable fashion? “Critics and sceptics can actually play a vital role in helping a company shape up their sustainability agenda, provided it is a valid insight,” she answers. “Sometimes brands can get focused on certain bits of sustainable fashion, while neglecting others, and it’s with such input that these brands can learn and grow in their sustainability journey. But what critics also need to understand is that sustainable fashion and all that it entails is very new in the country, so give brands the breathing room to learn and become better. Some initiatives can be very costly, time consuming, or require a whole new framework, so brands can’t become sustainable overnight. Fashion gets a lot of attention in Pakistan, and with our community outreach of over two million people, we feel responsible to use that to educate and create awareness on sustainable fashion.”

And what can consumers do to support the sustainable fashion movement? “Look at clothes as an investment,” she suggests. “Invest in the right materials, silhouettes, and purpose of the clothes. Repair, recycle, upcycle, donate! There are endless possibilities to prevent clothes from ending in a landfill. That being said, consumers should also educate themselves on how the clothes are being made, how they can be taken care of to last longer; research on the brands they are buying from, and so on.”

As a person at the forefront of the movement, Khadija hopes that the future of the Pakistani fashion industry will be a lot more eco-friendly. “With sustainability being new in the industry, a lot still needs to be done,” she says. “On the brands side, we need to keep on changing, adapting, learning, relearning processes under sustainability – what it means, what could be done, how we can improve certain areas with minimal external costs, and so on. It’s not just the use of sustainable materials in fashion, but how sustainability can be a part of ‘seed to store to consumer’, and why all these initiatives matter.”

It’s heartening to see that GENERATION has embraced sustainability so enthusiastically, and with the effects and challenges of environmental degradation and global warming looming just around the corner, it is high time other brands follow suit and consumers unite for the cause as well.