“Fast fashion” is a dirty phrase among the growing number of eco-conscious fashionistas across the world — and Australian farmers are looking to capitalise.
Research from independent think tank, the Australia Institute, shows the nation buys more clothes per person than any other country in the world.
However, almost two thirds of people polled for that research said they were “concerned or very concerned about the environmental impact of textile waste”.
Australian wool and cotton farmers are now positioning themselves to benefit from designers and manufacturers wanting to use fibres with complete traceability and green credibility.
A garment worker adds the finishing touches to one of Rahul Mishra’s gowns, an Indian designer who’s used Australian wool for more than a decade.(ABC News: Kristy O’Brien)
This is where people like Marty Dillon come in.
Mr Dillon is the Australian representative for 100-year-old Indian manufacturing company, NC John Garments.
His job is to link brands in Australia like ‘Seed Heritage’ to factories in India that have a focus on accreditation, sustainability and traceability.
“Consumers globally are now more aware of the detrimental impact that fast fashion has had on our planet, and are actively searching out brands that are consciously minimising their impact,” Mr Dillon said.
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More than 200,000 tonnes of textile waste ends up in landfill every single year in Australia, according to the Australia Institute.
Mr Dillon said many consumers now did their research to ensure garments had been sourced with environmental and ethical credentials at the forefront.
“Brands are considering all tiers of their value chain right back to the origins of their raw materials,” he said.
“They are looking to partner with manufacturers who can provide full traceability on the entire production process.”
Several top Australian clothing companies are now looking to India and more reputable processing facilities for their garments.
Indian weavers working on Rahul Mishra’s sought-after designs, which are revered globally.(ABC News: Kristy O’Brien)
Manish Daga is a fifth-generation cotton grower and now works as an importer based in India.
He said Australian cotton has always been an “integral part” of India’s growth story and that he saw a huge potential for increased imports of Australian fibres.
“We always value Australian cotton [for] the contamination-free origin access that we have,” Mr Daga said.
“That gives us more space to make more [finished] products in our baskets for the export market.”
Manish Daga is a major cotton importer and producer in India.(ABC News: Kristy O’Brien)
A trend on the rise
Australian wool and cotton are also integral to the highest echelons of Indian fashion.
Rahul Mishra is one of the country’s most famous designers whose clothes grace Paris fashion week each year and are worn regularly by celebrities like J-Lo and Selena Gomez.
His entire ethos focuses on ensuring his garments are ethically produced.
“What is the purpose behind making another outfit?” Mr Mishra asked.
“There are already so many clothes exist in the world … We probably don’t need to make another one.
“So, the purpose defines process and process is often slow, and the process is how we make things and what it creates is participation.”
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His quest for quality has taken him to Australian sheep stations to see how the fibre that he prizes in his work is produced.
He said many people were ultimately involved in creating an ethically produced garment — from the farmers who grow the cotton or wool, to those who handle the fibres, to the manufacturers, and everyone in between.
“So, the result is participation [and] not just product,” he said.
The painstaking construction and adornment of his garments can take months to produce and although the apparel is priced “on request”, a quick scout online shows most sell for about $3,000 a piece.
Rahul Mishra’s brand is paraded on high-end fashion catwalks around the world.(Supplied )
A home for Aussie product
A new bilateral trade agreement finalised last year has boosted Australian exports of wool and cotton to India.
Tariffs on wool were dropped, leading to a 24 per cent increase in exports.
India is Australia’s third-largest cotton export destination.
Australian exporters travelled to India to meet with local importers and cotton farmers. (Supplied)
Now, 51,000 tonnes of Australian cotton can enter India duty-free each year, with the elimination of an 11 per cent tariff.
The free trade agreement has helped farmers and Australian clothing brands.
The five per cent tariff on imported Indian clothing has also been wiped, which has led to a better deal at the cash register.
Marty Dillon said if the quota could be increased it would have more positive flow-on effects.
“[We would have] more spinning mills producing Aussie cotton, producing Australian cotton yarn,” he said.
“[That would] bring down lead times, reduce minimum order quantities, and increase competition.
“All of these are benefits that flow back to Australian brands.
Manish Daga said while it was a win for consumers, farmers would also reap the rewards.
“They make the backbone of the textile industry because they provide the raw material security to the country,” he said.
“Our focus right now [is on] how to make India and the world secure in terms of raw material, build marketing linkages, build relationships out of farm to fashions.”
CEO of Cotton Australia Adam Kay welcomes changes to the tariffs.(Supplied)
Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay said it was a notion cotton growers and wool producers were eager to hear.
“What we’re really looking at is Australian cotton being manufactured in India and going to the world. That’s the vision that that India sees as well,” Mr Kay said.
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