SME Times News Bureau | 14 Apr, 2010
When it comes to going green, two major Indian apparel brands have taken the lead. Van Heusen and Arrow have come up with 100 percent organic lines made of cotton, linen and natural dyes, doing their bit for the environment and also spreading awareness among consumers.

Shital Mehta, chief operating officer of Van Heusen, said: "Limited resources and increasing productivity have put the natural environment around us under tremendous pressure. Reason enough for us (Van Heusen) to get serious about starting down the eco-friendly path.

"It's a conscious attempt to make all of us understand the importance of being earth-friendly. Even something as small as weed removal for cotton crops has been done physically without reliance on chemical killers," Mehta said.

Arrow's product manager Punit Chauhan said: "The way the world is heading, we feel it is critical for us to create awareness among ourselves so that we can contribute towards saving nature and our eco-system."

"The need to bring awareness among consumers at this point of time is critical for every organisation," he added.

While Van Heusen's eco-friendly apparel range starts at Rs.1,599, just like their other clothes, Arrow's line is slightly higher compared to their normal line.

Mehta explains the tedious effort that goes behind churning out an eco-friendly line.

"Every care has been taken to ensure that no artificial or chemical substances are used in this line. Balancing the population of insects by using trap crops to lure pests away is just another example of how committed we (Van Heusen) are with this line," explained Mehta.

"And what better way to reap the benefits of these efforts than to follow natural cycles and harvest the cotton when it's fully ready," he said.

Arrow has plans to expand its green effort by introducing and using more natural fibres and recyclable collections.

The initiative has been well-received by customers all around India.

Jitin Gulati, 29, who works in an MNC and goes for cotton wear, feels the move is appropriate because a lot of people are looking for fashion brands that offer an organic line.

"There are so many like me who believe in going organic and we are always on the lookout for new labels that offer genuine organic products. They are expensive but still give us the satisfaction that we are doing our bit," Gulati said.

"This move is very timely because not many branded labels have an eco-friendly line. Designers who churn out an eco-friendly range are way too expensive, but theirs (Arrow and Van Heusen) is affordable," he added.