By Heather Phanwar
SHILLONG:
Fast fashion accounts for 10 per cent of all carbon emissions in the world and is the second industry only to oil when it comes to contributing to global pollution, and it’s a fact, Iba Mallai, a Ri Bhoi-based designer, swears by.
“The fashion industry affects all of us in many ways and with growing awareness about how it effects the environment, it is high time we realise the need to choose slow or sustainable fashion over fast fashion. Fast fashion is cheap, but environmentally, we are paying a very high price for it,” says Mallai, who, since 2016, has been running her own fashion label, KINIHO – a brand which every piece embodies an exemplary notion of sustainability.
“We choose to work with a natural fibre, Eri silk. It also one of the most sustainable silks. To avoid release of hazardous chemicals into the environment, we use natural dyes with locally available ingredients. For zero carbon footprints we choose to work only with handwoven textile,” she said.
Last week, Mallai brought laurels to the state when top models of the country sashayed down the ramp donning her attires in the coveted FDCI X Lakme Fashion Week 2022 at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi.
“Designers had to apply and submit a presentation of their upcoming collection together with inspirations and a theme. There was a selection criterion. I was fortunate to have got selected and it was a huge opportunity for me,” she said.
Her collection for the show was inspired by the Khasi folktale of U “Sier Lapalang”. The designs in the collection were made of handwoven Eri silk fabric which was naturally dyed and handwoven by the local weavers in Ri Bhoi district.
“Showcasing my collection in such a huge platform gives more exposure to a small brand like mine and I learnt a lot more about the industry from this experience,” she added.
Mallai said that she is intensely influenced by the culture and customs of Meghalaya, and that as a designer, she strives to strike a balance between tradition and aesthetics. The designer describes herself as someone who is passionate about creating mindful fashion.
For her, Umden, the Eri silk village, is her source of inspiration and as a designer who only works with the said variety of silk, the village is also her source for materials and manpower. “All of the weavers in my production unit are from Umden and the nearby villages,” she said, without a hint of bragging that she is actually providing employment to people of the area.
When asked about the amount of silk used in one fabric, she said that it takes a week for an artisan to spin the yarn required to make a shawl.
A Business Management graduate, Mallai had the passion to design since she was in school. She had an interest towards silhouettes, fabrics and colours. When she was in school, she used her mother’s old shawls to stitch something new, a dress or skirt.
While pursuing her graduate degree, she knew she wanted to start something on her own but had no idea what it would be. But it soon dawned on her and after working for a few years in the corporate sector, she enrolled herself in fashion design school and by 2016, had her own label.
She started locally and gained more local clients. Today, she has clients all across the country and also from abroad. Her team includes a team of four management roles and 12 weavers.
The designer added that this year, she is going to launch her own ecommerce portal and is looking avenues to expand her reach across the world.
While her accessories and products costs anything between Rs 500- Rs 3500, her sustainable clothing line ranges from Rs 3500- Rs 25000. “Sustainable fashion is well recognised and advertised by the fashion industry and with more and more brands and designers working towards sustainability, we hope it will one day surpass fast fashion,” she said.