Scroll, add to cart, buy now and the promise of one-day delivery, affordable fashion- check, trending outfit- check, sustainability…

We live in a world where trends change with a scroll and swipe of a finger, where affordable fashion and bargain prices help us indulge in fast fashion guilt-free. The days are gone when you used to purchase new clothes only on special occasions or festivals, visit the market with your parents and friends, and try to figure out which trend was underway that year. Trends now change every day, while you were busy wishlisting the neon blazers that you saw your favourite celebrating sporting, the next day it is the oversized blazer or the bootcut jeans, asking for your attention. But the question arises, how sustainable is it for the future? Often news pops up on the internet on how organisations are employing underpaid labourers who are spending hours after hours, head bend, stitching clothes and churning out millions of garments that would after a flash sale, a few days inside the wardrobe and after a few Instagram clicks would end up in the landfills. According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), 92 million tonnes of textile waste is produced globally, and the duration of garment used has decreased by 36 per cent, while only 8 per cent of textile fibres in 2023 were made from recycled sources.

Advertisement

However, Kolkata, a city which has always been at the forefront of mindful craftsmanship, slow fashion and withholding the legacy of handwoven textiles, is now witnessing a greener future with jute. At the centre of this lies Gautam Mukhopadhyay and his wife Prof. Ananya Mukhopadhyay’s visionary creation- Wander Weaves which is dedicated to revolutionising the world of sustainable fashion. The verdant revolution started in a small factory where the sound of the loom hums with a forward-thinking vision. The couple wishes to put a spotlight on jute, a humble yet magnificent fibre, poised to be the protagonist in our planet’s redemption story.

Talking to The Statesman, Prof. Ananya Mukhopadhyay explains, “Coming to the world of sustainable fashion and making jute our choice of weapon was something that never crossed our minds even a few years ago. However, after my husband’s retirement, and witnessing how fast fashion was damaging the world, we knew we had to do something. Wander Weaves is a brainchild of ours and we wanted to highlight sustainable choices. Jute is a fibre that has often been considered coarse and stiff, meant only for sacks and ropes; however, we wanted to showcase that this humble material can be transformed into more, making them a part and parcel of our everyday lives.” She believes that jute, considered the ‘golden fibre’ of India’ is versatile, durable and cost-effective.

Through months of experimentation, the couple has changed the perception that jute cannot be luxurious, transforming it into pliable and wearable garments that are perfect for the scorching summers and all year long. Juco- the fabric of tomorrow, is a versatile muse that Mrs Mukhopadhyay believes would adorn everything from elegant fashion pieces to practical packaging solutions to which Gautam Mukhopadhyay added, “Our blazer made out of this is a testament to that. Jute is India’s very own, so why not work with something that we have grown up with? You can weave anything and everything with jute. A lot of innovation is happening all over the world with jute and we wish to leave behind a legacy that embraces the elegance of sustainable living.”

Launching their official website in a recent exhibition ‘Nature in Every Thread: Designing a Sustainable Future’, Gautam Mukhopadhyay wishes to paint a vivid picture of a future where jute, in its myriad forms – from fusion clothing to everyday essentials – becomes the cornerstone of a greener world. A man who has transcended from the realms of the corporate world to advocating for the boundless potential of sustainable materials, he has one message that jute, with its gentle footprint, holds the key to unlocking a future where sustainability and style dance in perfect harmony.