Indikon

Entire production for Indikon takes place in India. Majority of it is conducted in Rajasthan, and the rest, specifically the wool garment production, takes place in the Kumaon region of North India. Radhika works with NGOs to employ women, including displaced refugee women, to conduct the ancient art of block printing and hand weaving and knitting each garment in her collections. She contributes to cultural heritage and society by teaching the culturally male dominated craft of block printing to women, and empowering them with the knowledge of this ancient craft. 

Indikon states the names and details of each of their manufacturing facilities, which along with the founder’s clear passion regarding the rights of garment workers in India, assures us of their ethical practices and fair wages. Radhika also maintains daily contact with all facilities to ensure decent conditions, smooth running of operations, and to make sure the facilities needs are fulfilled. 

The brand has communicated to COSH! the details of their suppliers and facilities, as well as provided certifications for some. Their linen is sourced from Belgium which is known to be the most sustainable of all linens, and the RWS (Responsible Wool Standard) certified wool is sourced from New Zealand, which, along with the GOTS certified organic cotton in her collection assures responsible production of these materials and the working environments. As the brand grows Radhika aims to get more certifications to assure consumers of ethical practices of the brand.

In the long run, Radhika aims to use the brand and her expertise and contacts in law to provide pro-bono legal aid to the artisans they work with. 

Indikon only works with natural materials, avoiding the negative impact of synthetic materials on the environment. They work with GOTS certified organic cotton and RWS certified wool, which ensures minimum impact of the materials and their production on the environment. Aside from this, they also use uncertified conventional cotton, silk and linen, which are still more beneficial for the environment than synthetic alternatives.

Each garment is handmade and hand-printed, which saves a lot of energy as compared to conventional manufacturing practices, and the azo-free dyes are beneficial to the environment and water, however the block printing technique uses a higher amount of water than what is conventionally required. Regarding water usage, they are also working with their block-printing facility to set up a closed loop water system to reduce the total water usage. The garments are upcycled and finished without use of any chemicals as well. 

Their ecommerce packaging is 100% compostable, and within the supply chain they reuse all of their plastic packaging.

Indikon uses only natural materials, along with the use of azo-free dyes, makes the garment easily biodegradable at the end of use. They also have many monomaterial garments, and the material blends are also conducted in a way that makes recycling easy.

The brand is located in Brussels, Belgium, and manufacturing is entirely conducted in India. Some materials are sourced from Belgium and New Zealand, which are then taken to India for final stages of production before shipping back to Belgium for sale. This keeps the chain rather long, however considering the cultural significance of the brand, a lengthy chain is rather necessary. That being said, the method of transportation plays a great role in sustainability of the supply chain in addition to the length. The brand avoids air freight transportation, and uses cargo ships for most of it, and within the countries travel by road.

The brand works with RWS certified wool (Responsible Wool Standard) sourced from New Zealand, which ensures mulesing free wool and ethical treatment of animals. However, certifications are not provided to COSH! yet.

Indikon has durable, timeless designs inspired by two ancient cultures and centuries of artisanal craftsmanship. The garments capture the essence of both Greece and India within their garments, and can be used forever, disregarding temporary trends. Indikon uses high quality materials and provides care tips to ensure sustainable use of the garments to keep them durable for as long as possible. 

Indikon’s use of heritage crafts that have been practised by artisans for generation ensures literal slow fashion, and preservation of cultural heritage and dying crafts. In the long run, the brand will work on branching out of India, to preserve heritage of other countries, starting with a partnership with an Afghan jewellery maker who works with traditional techniques and patterns of the country.

Indikon provides a lot of transparency to its consumers as well as to COSH! regarding their practices. They aim to keep improving this at every chance they get, and already they are far more transparent than many sustainable clothing brands out there.