This extensively researched introductory guide to ethically sourcing of fabrics, apparel and accessories from India, published under a Creative Commons License, aims at supporting small(er) ethical designers when setting up their production in India during the first stage of their efforts. It is the result of many a discussion circling around the rather unexpected difficulties encountered when building working relationships with Indian producers. It is intended, if you like, as a first step so as not having to ‘re-invent the wheel’ from scratch.
The guide offers a well researched introduction to the Indian textile industry from a global perspective, and includes some of the most important ‘Dos and Donts’, and a highly detailed, hands-on chapter on how to tackle frequent common challenges. The advise is complemented by practical references to external resources, including small and medium sized organisations suitable as potential suppliers.
Note: This guide will be updated periodically. For feedback, suggestions or just simply questions related to sourcing from India, please do get in touch with us via this contact form.
Since the trend for off-shoring apparel manufacturing to Asia started in the early 1980s, India could be found at its forefront. Historically speaking, this was a radical change: For nearly 150 years, since the 1830s to be precise, the British mechanised manufacturing sites where so much more efficient than their Indian counterparts, that only the raw cotton was grown in the country, and then shipped directly to Europe.
This changed when, despite their high level of productivity, European and American manufacturing sites started to become too expensive in comparison to the outrageously low labour costs abroad, and the equally low labour and environmental standards, that were combined in addition with a lack of legal regulation. Suddenly, production was shifted back to where it had been up onto the early 19th century. The war of competitiveness through price, rather than through quality, took off.
This guide will be updated periodically.
For feedback, suggestions or just simply questions related to sourcing from India, please do get in touch with us via this contact form.
India, as it turns out, has not only the advantage of being ‘historically’ familiar to the Anglo-Saxon corporate world, but by the 1980s and in parallel with the popularisation of the Fairtrade movement, NGOs started to mark their ground. A range of useful initiatives were, and still are, started by small and medium fashion designers, and some brands have gone through difficult times.
Lacking useful, concrete information they have ended up re-experiencing times and over again the mistakes, dos and don’ts their peers had experienced ahead of them. This document hence, aims at remedying this problem to the best degree possible in a written document. It is intended, if you like, as a first step so as not having to ‘re-invent the wheel’ entirely from scratch.
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Sourcing ethically from India – An Introductory Guide for micro-enterprises and start-ups in the fashion industry by Pamela Ravasio, Shirahime is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Interview on the guide, by Offset Warehouses Charlie Ross
