At MIRTH, we strive for sustainable production practices and are continually working to improve our supply chain to reduce our footprint. While there is still much to be done, we are proud of the progress we have made and the positive social impact we have had on the lives of our partners in India and Peru.
Clothing With A Purpose
Our mission is to create clothing with a purpose and to help sustain and celebrate craft techniques that provide opportunity and meaningful employment to artisans and their families in developing countries.
We aim to reverse the trend of machine-made fast fashion by creating garments using traditional textile techniques, like handloom weaving, abstract block printing, and knitting. Most of our fabrics are handmade in some way without heavy pollutive machinery and, oftentimes, without electricity.
Meaningful Work
We are dedicated to social entrepreneurism and collaborate with weaving revival communities across India and small family knitting workshops in Peru. Many of the groups we work with provide training and connect artisans with international buyers.
Providing consistent work with fair pay results in women and men being able to support themselves and their families. Because almost all aspects of our production process happen in small communities, the reach is widespread and impactful.
Celebration of Heritage
We produce in India and Peru where textile craft techniques have been handed down for generations. Working directly with artisan groups helps keep this heritage tradition alive in areas where it is tied to culture, life, and history.
Our block prints are made by 7th generation master printers in the village of Bagru, India, where hand block printing has been practiced for 300 years. Each part of the process takes place in this community: block carving, dyeing, printing, washing, and ironing using heritage methods.
We work with several handloom weaving groups around India, including NGOs, weaving revival projects and small entrepreneur groups. Each part of this process also takes place rural communities.
Our knitwear represents the entrepreneurial spirit of knitters who have invested in their own infrastructure in order to continue the craft tradition passed down to them for generations.
Community Support
We feel it is our responsibility as a company to give back to the community. We donate a portion of every sale to Sneh Girls Shikshan Sansthan in Jaipur, an all girls school with a mission to provide free education, meals, clothing, and counseling to children living in poverty.
Sneh not only offers a safe space to protect and empower their students, but also provides resources for parents and families to help eradicate the many hurdles and abuses facing girls in India.
Planet-Friendly Packaging
We understand the impact the fashion industry has on the environment and are always looking for ways to make our packaging more sustainable. Our hang tags are made by hand with 100% cotton, much of which is recycled, in a small family workshop in Jaipur, and are a biodegradable and eco friendly alternative to tree paper. Online orders are packaged in a cloth bag made from upcycled fabric and ship in recycled paper mailers. We've switched from polybag packaging to glassine, which are biodegradeable and sustainable, and all products will be shipped in these bags starting in 2024.
COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY
Garment manufacturing by nature is not inherently sustainable, and we feel a responsibility to our earth, and the people we work with, to make the most sustainable and ethical choices possible in all business decisions.Â
We design our pieces with a high quality standard, using only azo-free or completely natural dyes and only natural or recycled fibers, and aim to create lasting pieces that can be worn for years. We repurpose misprinted fabrics for our pouches and turn surplus fabrics, or fabrics not suitable for clothing, into home textiles and accessories. Our main factory in India is SEDEX compliant, which relates to ethical and responsible practices.
Our knitwear is made with responsibly sheared, traceable Aplaca wool that’s okeo-tex and fair trade certified. Yarns come from socially and environmentally responsible sources.
We provide ethical employment to our artisan partners and create jobs done by hand that replace heavy machinery. As an example, for every 1 person needed to run an automated loom, 10 jobs are created in handloom weaving. Methods like block printing, handloom weaving, hand spinning are known for their more sustainable production process.
Our Khadi fabrics are made through a labor-intensive process of creating hand-spun yarns and then hand weaving them into fabrics. Khadi is a zero carbon-footprint fabric, needing no electricity or machines, or any kind of fuel for its manufacture. 3 liters of water is needed to produce one meter of khadi versus 55 liters for one meter in a mill.
We are committed to constantly improving our business and production practices in order to become more sustainable each year.
