Sui, which means ‘needle’ in Hindi, is a responsible fashion label based in India and Singapore. The needle for Sui represents connection. Just as a needle connects thread to a piece of fabric when crafting it into a beautiful piece of clothing, Sui’s goal is to connect the threads of nature with fashion. They do this by crafting clothing with a green heart; one that respects nature and the people who make our clothes. Their comfy, versatile silhouettes are easy to wear from day to day, and will help introduce slow fashion to your wardrobe.
IMPACT
People
Ethical production is in the heart of New Delhi, where the brand’s masters, karigars and production staff are like family and have been a part of their parent brand for years. With a team of 6 tailors in their workshop in New Delhi, the brand’s production manager will visit every other day, while their founder visits and meets them whenever in Delhi. The tailors earn more than a living wage, with a monthly salary plus benefits. As for their fabrics and craft vendors, the team visits them once or twice a year as-well. The founder of Sui calls the brand “a label of love”. So the brand’s love trickles down to every bit of their supply chain and their designs.
Product
Sui’s fabrics are sourced from vendors in India, with organic cotton grown around Madhya Pradesh and crafted in Maheshwar & Gujarat. The brand sources for hemp, GOTS certified cotton, Tencel and other sustainable fabric blends from close networks. They also hand weave their own organic cotton, in collaboration with Women Weave, their partner NGO focusing on women empowerment in the handloom section & another partner at Aura Herbal. Sui also uses recycled fabric from offcuts and yarns in factories – and it is just as durable as their cotton. They use herbal dye for 90% of their clothing, adding a touch of nature’s colours to their pieces. Sui’s dyer is based in Gujarat, and they also make sure to clean & recycle all the wastewater. Sui follows a slow fashion model, which not only reduces the risk of overproduction but also gives customers the best quality.
Packaging
Sui uses recycled packaging, such as reusable cardboard boxes and biodegradable bags as much as possible. They aim to go plastic-free and integrate re-usability for their packaging. For physical pop up orders, the brand uses recycled fabric bags. They also find ways to upcycle their fabric scraps to give them a new life.
Planet
Sui cherishes the raw sense of nature, which is why they value experiences over materialism and slow over fast. The brand core of Sui is to promote and create awareness on green fashion that is versatile, has a close to minimum impact on the world, looks after it’s workers like family and is relatable. Sui’s dyes are either 100% herbal dyes made from plants & herbs or azo-free dyes. Their dyers are also conscious about the water wastage and recycle it. They partially do made-to-order, so as to reduce stock wastage. At the current moment, they do not track their footprint but that is a goal in the future to achieve as they grow bigger.
Principles
Bringing thoughtfulness to all the little things is essential to the brand while creating beautiful clothes with minimal waste & impact. Additionally, the team’s travels with nature taught them to savour the journey, the little moments and most importantly the planet. They also focus on educating and growing a diverse community of green heart-ers who are passionate about conscious fashion and quality clothing. They make green and great designs that stem from their appreciation for telling stories through clothes.