Sabyasachi x HM: To stan or not to stan?
Current Affairs
If you were on the internet anytime this week, you probably (definitely) heard about it. The much-hyped collaboration between Sabyasachi and HM was launched globally and sold out within 5-10 mins on every platform where it was available.
The collection was previewed before the launch and this triggered one of the most polarizing debates in the history of fashion collaborations.
Sabya: Generally beloved
Sabyasachi Mukherjee, the man behind the biggest luxury brand in India clocking in revenues of over INR 270 crores annually, is a household name. Despite a large demand for his designs, Sabya has always advocated slow fashion.
He was always the designer who chose to make 20 sarees that will remain heritage pieces instead of 500 sarees of poorer quality. Sabya pioneered the revival of Indian crafts that were slowly dying out due to demand for faster fashion.
Today, Sabya employs over 2000 artisans in 18 craft clusters in the country and is the man behind the ‘Save the Saree’ initiative.
He does come with his set of controversies - from criticizing Indian women who do not know how to wear a saree to calling overdressed women ‘wounded and bleeding inside’. Some statements he clarified, some he apologized for, but none of them affected the perception of his brand.
H&M collaboration
While his luxury label has a massive following, the next step for the label was in Sabya’s own words, “reaching out to the massive Sabyasachi tribe worldwide” which meant making his designs more affordable and accessible.
Hence, the collaboration with H&M materialized with Sabyasachi’s team taking control of the design and embroidery which was then digitized and manufactured by H&M.
A great day for Indian fashion houses
This collaboration was nothing short of iconic. Almost every elite Indian magazine dedicated its cover to showcase this collection with Sabya himself shooting all the covers. This kind of creative control given to a designer NEVER happens.
What was appreciated the most was that for the first time, a clothing tag would say ‘Designed in India’ instead of only saying ‘Manufactured in India’.
Accessibility of ‘The Saree’
The main showstopper of the collection- the pink saree does a great job of being capable of global adaptability. While it does not convey the richness of a saree that India is known for, with people commenting that the saree is something everyone’s grandmother owned at one point, we need to remember that Indians are probably not the target market for this piece. This basic saree might imply to the West what a set of basic white trousers do to the east.
Not a great day for Indian artisans
Previously, buying a Sabyasachi meant that you probably were contributing to the welfare of his karigars. In this transaction, however, it looks like most of the money is being pocketed by one of the two brands - H&M or Sabyasachi.
This borders on cultural appropriation and exploitation, where brands are taking a culture global and massively profiting from it, with none of the people from the culture (the karigars) getting the benefits.
Collaboration with H&M
What is also disappointing is that Sabya, a pioneer of slow fashion collaborated with probably one of the worst fast-fashion houses out there. H&M is known for tons of issues:
Failing to stick to its commitment of paying its workers a living wage
Reports of sexual and physical abuse in their factories
A massive carbon footprint of their manufacturing & supply chain.
The collaboration does not make a lot of sense for the Sabyasachi label at a first glance. The recent strategic partnership of the label with the Aditya Birla Group(ABG), where ABG acquired 51% of the stake in the label, is what gives the strategy more flavour.
Their press statement read, “with this acquisition, Aditya Birla Fashion will be able to tap into luxury and bridge luxury segments globally” and this vision could have been a deciding factor in this strategy pivot for the label.
Say no to fast fashion
Whatever the reason that led to this collaboration, buying the items will contribute to the exploitation of labour and unsustainable manufacturing processes. The plus point of fast fashion making clothes for mid & plus sizes also does not factor into this collaboration, with the biggest size available being a UK 16.
If we can afford it and are privileged to be a size that society accepts, we should support slow fashion brands and thrift shops. Generally speaking, however, lesser consumption of clothing and holding fast-fashion brands accountable for their climate impact is the way to go.
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