True cost

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India has been a hotspot of brands all over the world for garment industry. The skilled labor available here in developing countries is much cheaper than in developed countries. The competition in the industry is so high that some run 24/7. There are unrealistic expectations to be met. Unprecedented harm done to the environment and workers exploited to the extremes. Workers are made to work extra shifts. There is no place to stretch in the place they work in. Health care is obsolete and so is ethics. Workers put in their sweat and blood to make those mass produced clothes, and yet we question and think twice before buying from a small brand who are paying fair wages to the artisans. We don't think twice before picking up a T-shirt from a known brand in a mall but argue twice while buying a handcrafted design in a flea market. Garment industry has to exist. It provides employment for thousands of people in our country, but the workers have the right to be treated ethically, to be paid fair wages and to work in a safe environment. Next time you go shopping, think and stop to see if those brands support ethical fashion or just made by sweatshops in developing countries.

When I started Dori, I always wanted it to be affordable and in a price range which you don't have to break the bank for. It turned out to be quite a challenge to maintain that. The fabric being completely handwoven and hand embroidered it is very important for us as a brand to make sure that the artisans who put their heart into their work to get fair wages and healthy environment to work in. Dori is made by hand with lots of care and love. They are made by people and not by factories.

Photographs by Arvind Sridhar