Making fashion ‘safer’

By Puja Gupta

New Delhi, June 25 With all the focus on hygiene and cleanliness in times of Coronavirus, has anyone thought about how they can make fashion ‘safer’?

One brand is offering 100 percent sterilisation for all their products and specialised sterilisation bags that carry all these products. Fashion brand Freakins has introduced eThe Safe Fashion’ category in a step towards creating safe fashion during such testing times. It will also launch the AV40 process – Antiviral Chemical Process on all fashion products from the next collection.

IANSlife spoke to Sachin Shah, founder of Freakins, to know the details of the special category and the process behind it. Excerpts:

What does 100 per cent sterilization mean and is it safe?

Shah: The STW process safeguards the product with a special grade layer bag, ensuring 100 per cent sterilization guarantee, considering this as a breakthrough towards safe fashion. Every clothing bag comes with a colour-coded paper, which will indicate the application of sterilization before and after the treatment. It is skin friendly and very safe to use.

What does the colour coded paper do?

Shah: The colour coded paper indicates the application of sterilization before and after the treatment. The colour on the packaging changes from blue to yellow/brown once the product goes through the ETO sterilization process. At our warehouse dispatch centre, These colours are taken into consideration before shipment. The colour on the packaging helps customers understand the level of sterilization of the product. We have attached the image for your reference.

With these new bags what is the impact of waste/plastic on the environment at the cost of making fashion safer?

Shah: At Freakins, the wellbeing of our customers, workers as well as the environment has always been our top priority. Our packaging consists of biodegradable bags that are completely safe for the environment and well as our customers. We are also in the process to change our current packaging plastic to recyclable plastic. As a brand, we are constantly investing in R&D to curate ethical fashion that caters to the needs of our customers. Practicing sustainable fashion, we also offer an eco-friendly collection that reduces the use of water, electricity and chemicals by 75 per cent.

What is the chemical or substance used for sterilisation? Is it being used by any other company?

Shah: We use Ethylene oxide, which is widely used for sterilizing medical and surgical equipment and is proven the most reliable way. In the apparel industry, Freakins is the first brand to introduce and follow a special process of sterilisation of the fashion products at no additional cost for our valued customers.

What does the anti-viral nanotechnology mean and how does it work?

Shah: To put it into simpler words, nanotechnology is a chemical treatment that is used to bond antiviral chemicals with the fabric. Any virus or bacteria that comes in contact with the fabric is eliminated immediately. Products specially treated with Antiviral Chemical Treatment will ensure 100 percent elimination of any virus or bacteria and retains its fundamental properties until 40 washes.

Given current circumstances how important is it to have safe clothing?

Shah: Any bacteria or virus can be easily transmitted through textiles, thus making safe clothing the need of the hour. Safe clothing concept is much more than just fashion, new regulations and norms have to be put into place at every step of the procedure from the garment till the product reaches the consumer. From the manufacturing, designing, sterilisation of garment, and sealed packaging and use of antivirus technology, to the final packaging and delivery, the product is ensured to be safe for use for the consumer.

When will your new collection be available with anti-viral technology?

Shah: We are launching all our new collections August onwards with AV40 treatment. We are also currently working towards a complimentary mask and gloves with AV40 for all our customers.