The best of 2023: The year’s most iconic sustainable fashion moments

Celebrity Fashion, News & Views / By Team PAYP / December 16, 2023

From celebs taking the sustainable route to material innovations and policy, we’ve put together the most sustainably stylish moments of 2023.

(L) Alia Bhatt on her wedding day. (R) Alia Bhatt at the National Awards 2023. — Alia Bhatt once again brought out the sustainable fashion icon in her, by rewearing her Sabyasachi wedding sari to receive her National Award for Gangubai Kathiawadi. In a world that normalises buying new for such a special occasion, Bhatt gave a nod to emotion-first clothing, instead.

(L) Khushi Kapoor at the Archie’s premiere. ( R) Sridevi at an awards function in 2013. — In an iconic move, Khushi Kapoor paid tribute to her mom, the late actor Sridevi, by rewearing her sequined gown from a 2013 awards function to the movie premiere of her debut film, The Archies’. A great way to commemorate an important milestone in her life!

Sunglasses made of MLP (multi-layered plastic) on the Lakme Fashion Week Runway. https://ashaya.in/without/ — Without, a revolutionary eyewear brand by Pune-based Anish Malpani, won the CDC challenge, this year, at LFW. Malpani’s patent-pending breakthrough technology uses a chemo-mechanical process to reshape waste into innovative fashion. Without works in collaboration with waste pickers and turns the otherwise impossible-to-recycle MLP, or multi-layered plastic (chips packets, chocolate wrappers, etc), into stylish, functional sunglasses.

The Bangladesh government said it would raise garment workers minimum monthly wage by 56%, or to $113, starting in December. This was however rejected by the garment workers. — High fashion brand H&M has said they will be paying higher wages, as decided by the Bangladesh government. They will be increasing the prices of garments being made in Bangladesh, to help absorb the higher cost of labour. While this is a great move, the garment workers still deem the wage increase offered by the government as insufficient. They are currently earning $72 per month, and have demanded $208 per month.

82 brands have signed the Pakistan Accord on Health & Safety, so far. — The International Accord for Health & Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry, previously known as Bangladesh Accord, has finally extended its efforts into Pakistan. The new Pakistan Accord on Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry is a legally binding agreement between global union federations, UNI Global Union and IndustriALL Global Union, and garment brands and retailers for an interim term three years starting in 2023. Bangladesh and Pakistan are the only countries governed by the Accord, as yet.

On May 22, this year, the European Union government banned the destruction of unsold textiles, mitigating fashion waste and pollution. — The ban on textile destruction, which is part of the EU's green push towards reducing waste through greater reuse and recycling, will apply to large companies first and then to the smaller ones. While this is a massive first step for regulating sustainable policies in the fashion world, self-regulatory measures adopted by the brands would be a great way going forward.

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As India’s first podcast on sustainable fashion, we bring to you the evolving conversation around fashion sustainability, through the lens of change makers, advocates, brands and people who’ve redefined the way they view and consume fashion. We’re talking about making fashion prettier for the planet, prettier for people, and prettier for you!