A brand from the Aloka Exports’ house, Cloth Haus was born in 2021, in the midst of the pandemic, with a vision to deliver apparels designed for the Indian sensibility, of superlative quality, and in a reasonable price range. Cloth Haus Director Aditya Agrawal discusses with Fibre2Fashion the reason behind setting up the brand, its journey, sustainable fashion and trends.
What are the parameters to label a brand as ‘sustainable’?
There are many aspects to sustainability but more than the product aspect, I feel the brand should be “sustainable” for all stakeholders at the back end. This implies paying fair wages and getting production from ethical and environmentally conscious sources so that the people labouring away have a sustainable way of life. Of course, using best textiles is key and we see a good future with recycled polyester, organic cottons, Lenzing yarns and possible blends of all these fibres.
Slow fashion, recycled fabrics, organic cotton, ethical production… The list is long. Is it possible for a company to score ‘good’ on all such parameters? Why/Why not?
Yes, of course it is. Our parent company is certified in recycled fabrics, organic cottons, ethical production and environment friendly practices. It all comes at a cost, and it is up to the brand/company to judge whether this cost is affordable or not. For us, we know that retail customers are now looking for these aspects in brands they buy from and if the brands keep customers informed of where their goods come from, we have faith that new age customers will always prefer the more ethically and environmentally conscious brands.
When it comes to buying apparel, how is the Indian consumer different from his western counterparts?
We see a merging of the two. Many western brands have ventured into India in the past few years and are succeeding. The Indian consumer has evolved and wants to be more like the West. As we move towards a more corporate lifestyle and consume more western content on social media and OTT platforms, we all want to amalgamate. However, Indian consumers will still remain a bit traditional and proud of their culture and heritage. Therefore at Cloth Haus, we don’t do low cuts, tight fits, long slits or anything of that kind on garments. Our garments are modern and colourful, but also have the feeling of India.
What is the objective behind starting Cloth Haus? How has the journey been so far?
We wanted to diversify from our export business. Why rely on the outside world which is always hunting for the lowest price when we have such a huge domestic market and consumer appetite? It is very clear that Indian made garments are being exported to western brands (we have done this for many years ourselves) and are being sold in India again at 6 to 8 times the cost. Money is moving from Indian hands to the West. We want to keep it in India and offer styles which are much more value for money. The western brands are charging low prices at the cost of the Indian worker. Yes, sure, they help employ a lot of workers but do expect very low prices. We have to change this image of India being a developing country that offers cheap production facilities. India can do more and also have its own brands. We already have these kinds of brands in other industries such as automobiles, software and high-end designer clothing. We can also compete with retail western wear.
Your parent company is into export of fashion accessories. And now you have ventured into manufacturing and retailing apparel for Indian women?
Yes, correct.
How do you plan to keep pace with the latest trends and advances in fashion?
We have 40 years of experience and network working with the top fashion brands. We are well versed with where and how these brands get their trends for the upcoming seasons. We travel a lot to Europe to source print designs and we invest in the seasons’ colour cards. We also work with print designers who can put print and colour together to make wonderful pieces of art that can be printed on beautiful Indian fabric.
Who will be designing Cloth Haus products? Where are they based?
We have an in-house design team lead by Alok Agrawal. We are based in Mumbai, We have a team of CAD designers, fashion designers and stylists.
From where will you be sourcing yarn and other raw material for making Cloth Haus apparel?
We will source from India and make in India. All our factories are in India.
Can you tell us about a sustainable approach adapted by Cloth Haus through the entire supply chain?
Our factories are ethically compliant with international norms. We are BSCI, SEDEX and FWF audited for ethical compliance that relates to payment of wages and good working conditions. We are also audited by Textile Exchange in the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Recycle Claim Standard (RCS), Global Recycle Standard (GRS), Organic Content Standard (OCS) and Responsible Wool Standard (RWS). These are various certifications proving that the garments are made from sustainable fibres.
Where is the presence of Cloth Haus? Any expansion plans in near future?
We have a physical store at Kemps Corner, Mumbai. We are live on various online portals such as Ajio, Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho and soon will also be live on Myntra. We also sell our own website.
Published on: 28/03/2022
DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.
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