Mr Chintan Patel talks to Fashion & Fitness about his new clothing brand Wear Me Good. The company promotes use of organic cotton for clothing. We try to find out more about organic cotton and Wear Me Good.
Q: What was your main motto behind “Wear Me Good”?
Mr Patel: Wear Me Good is our way of contributing towards sustainable development. What we strive for is ethical progress and accountability, accountability to our customers and not ethical perfections. Wear Me Good makes products that benefit people and planet. We are determined to combine environmental and social awareness while promoting fair trade and open borders.
Q: What is organic cotton? What were its limitations?
Mr Patel: Simply put, organic cotton is cotton grown using sustainable methods, methods that cause the least impact on the environment compared to conventional cotton, which is one of the most chemical intensive crops in the world. We prefer our vegetables and skin care products to be organic, so why not what we wear? Unfortunately, today less than one percent of all cotton grown is organic. Sourcing organic cotton has its own limitations, as not all the farmers or factories in India have the right certifications to manufacture organic cotton or organic dyes. Lastly we are working towards procurement of raw materials in a timely manner to check production cycle.
Q: How this organic cotton is different from normal cotton?
Mr Patel: Organic fibres including cotton come from farms that use soil without pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, and genetically modified organisms. Organic cotton uses far less water too. Whereas non-organic clothing are processed with chemicals and dyes, they require more energy and resources and can have hazardous effects on the life of workers working in those environmental conditions. It is estimated that each year cotton producers use as much as 25 percent of the world’s insecticides and more than 10 percent of the world’s pesticides; an incredible amount for just one crop.
Q: Will the final product from organic cotton be able to become a revolutionary product for the fashion industry?
Mr Patel: We believe we’re about to see a revolution across sectors driven by an emergent class of aspirational buyers who want to make a conscious choice. Second to oil, fashion and textiles is the most polluting industry in the world (BoF, 2017). Stella McCartney was one of the first designers in the fashion business to embrace a sustainable attitude in her business model – from the production to the final collection. Some fashion brands get this, like Everlane that tells consumers exactly how much it costs to sew a garment. At the end of the day, it’s all about what the consumers want and we wholeheartedly support reforms that benefit our planet.
Q: When will your product be available in market? What kind of clothes will be available?
Mr Patel: We are looking to launch our first line: Pop Goes the Art by the end of July. Our motto is as follows: Simple is the new luxury, so that is what you will see in our upcoming collection. We’re all lovers of aesthetics at Wear Me Good, and we try to reflect that on our social media handles. Do watch our Instagram page for sneak peeks, behind the scenes and more.
