Vegan Silk and

Vegan Silk Saree

Brands
The Cruel Process of making Silk
Sarees are among the most sought-after traditional
attire worn by women in India, especially during
the wedding season. Although they’re beautiful
when made of vegan fabrics, sarees made of the
fibre that “silkworms”, a species of moth, use to
weave their cocoons have an ugly side.
• To produce one kilogram of silk, humans kill approximately 6600 silkworms, and about
50,000 silkworms are killed to make a single saree. Silk farmers boil or gas silkworms
to death so that their protective cocoons unravel and workers can remove the undamaged
silk threads.
• That means that billions, if not over a trillion, silkworms are killed for this easy-to-replace
material every year. They die extremely violent deaths, just for the sake of vanity.
What are Vegan Silk Sarees?
• Vegan sarees are the fabric derived from the edible
parts of many plants that are harvested, the agro
residue remains which usually end in landfills. This
residue is rich in biopolymers that make robust
textile fabrics, which are then woven into yarns and
then eventually used to make sarees.
• An example of a Vegan saree that we showcase is the
Banana silk saree, which are also known as “Vazhai
Naaru Pattu" in Tamil, which literally means 'Banana
fiber silk'.
Origin of the Vazhai Naaru Patt
• The significantly high cultivation of
bananas in the southern states of India has
lead to innovative ideas in using the by-
products of the Banana plant - the fiber
from Banana stalk being one of them.
• These eco-friendly fibers are now very
popular amongst the saree-wearing
demography of the region, and their simple
yet pretty color combinations make them a
highly sought-after saree!
The texture of Vegan sarees
The sheen and feel of the Vegan silk (or Banana Silk) saree is very similar to pure
silk and is quite easy to carry too. The weavers take great pains to make the sarees
long-lasting.
• Woven in bright colors and adorned with shimmering Zari threads, with a classy
traditional pallu - the vegan silk saree is quintessential for every saree lover's
wardrobe!
• The yarn of the aloe and kenaf saree is derived from plant waste of Aloe Vera
and blended with Kenaf Cotton (which needs less water than the Conventional
Cotton plant) and Handwoven into a saree.
The texture is very similar to a crisp cotton saree and the colors are earthy.
Maintaining Vegan Sarees
• These sarees have been delicately woven from the agro residues, and thus would
require Dry-cleaning to maintain their sheen.
Vegan Silk Saree Brands
Taneira
Tata-owned Taneira’s Vegan
Visions collection in collaboration with
TENCEL Luxe is stunning and stylish. The
collection won the award for Best Vegan
Sarees in the PETA India 2022 Vegan
Fashion Awards.
Anita Dongre

• Favourite celebrity designer Anita

Dongre is a vegan and an animal-lover
and has always been fur- and leather-
free.
• She’s a strong advocate for
sustainability, and her brand House of
Anita Dongre is PETA-certified.
• Her luxurious and vibrant Magic
Magpies Saree Sets made of
sustainable, vegan fabrics are very
popular
Hand N Yarns

• This shop is India’s first vegan silk

boutique certified by the organisation
Beauty Without Cruelty, specialising in
fashion with compassion.
• Shoppers can find an array of
sustainable wraps here that no
silkworms were killed for.
Shubam Sarees

• Another winner of PETA India’s Best

Vegan Sarees award in 2021, Shubam
Sarees offers a wide range of traditional
vegan silk kanjivaram sarees from the
remote villages of Tamil Nadu.
• Their popularity shows that the demand
for animal-friendly clothing and
accessories is skyrocketing.
 Kosigam
Kosigam’s traditional yet trendy range of vegan silk sarees woven from banana
fibres. Not only will they look good, they’re also good for the wallet.
JJV by JJ Valaya

Indian couturier JJ Valaya won Best

Vegan Fashion Moment in the PETA
India 2022 Vegan Fashion Awards for
launching an environment-friendly
collection for his new label JJV, made
using TENCEL Luxe vegan silk.
Dharah Boutique

Dharah offers animal-free, sustainable,

and fashionable vegan sarees
Ghatkopar Cloth Stores

Ghatkopar stores specialise in ethnic

wear, bridal lehengas, and vegan sarees
that are luxurious and beautiful.
Shobitam
Sri Aishwarya Sarees