The Future of Fashion & Sustainability | 21 Harleen Kaur: Bringing Sustainability to South Asian Fashion

Versatile, Locally Produced, and Eco-Conscious. Harleen Kaur (HK) is a new-age South Asian Indo-Western label challenging the notion of what South Asian clothing should look and feel like. Designer and founder Harleen Chhabra offers versatility and reimagined silhouettes that can be worn on a night out or during your friend’s big, fat Indian wedding. Over the duration of our hour-long conversation, we trace the brand’s early beginnings, its eco-conscious identity, the obstacles Harleen has overcome, and the importance of staying on-brand.

From an early age, Harleen held strong beliefs about the quality and feel of fabrics and garments; comfort was and still is among her top priorities. She followed her intuition and talents to begin working as a contemporary womenswear designer in New York but with the aspiration of creating her own line. She even recalls an interview for her first job with retailer Nine West, when she made her future intentions very clear. Years later on her visit to India, she realized that none of the traditional designs and fabrics she saw matched her and her brother’s aesthetic, and menswear options offered even fewer alternatives. Having wrapped up the wedding season, Harleen ultimately took the leap and realized manufacturing in the United States would allow her to truly explore fabrics and design elements that resonate with her and consumers in the U.S. and Canada.

So what makes Harleen Kaur stand apart from contemporaries? It comes down to comfort, quality, and versatility. Consumers are sure to find beautifully crafted jacquards and printed Japanese satins with a strong floral motif. Those looking for more traditional elements can find traditional embroideries and beading, but Harleen adds a unique, modern style. Disrupting traditional styles comes with its challenges, and through its early years, the brand has had to balance doing much of the same with “pushing the envelope.” Ultimately, as Harleen puts it “people are still getting that traditional red color, but it's in a more HK way” - distinct fabrics and a modern silhouette. Versatility is top of mind. A piece of garment can seamlessly transition from one occasion to another. The jumpsuits and bold shoulder asymmetrical tops - in particular - can be worn to an Indian wedding one day and a night out in the city the next.

Unique amongst Indo-Western labels, Harleen Kaur is steadfast in the brand’s commitment to sustainable practices. From manufacturing and fabrics to packaging, sustainability is more than just a buzzword for the brand. The decision to produce locally was largely driven by a desire to support local manufacturing and ensure workers are being treated and paid fairly. Early on, few mills and suppliers offered sustainable fabrics, with only a few brands like Stella McCartney able to justify and sell at the required price points. However, once the fabric industry was able to provide more sustainable alternatives, Harleen states that she has been able to “implement more things because it's more readily available,” including fabrics that come Oeko-Tex certified -  a label that confirms that a product is free of harmful substances and safe for human use. In its early years, the brand opted for functional and practical packaging rather than aesthetic options. The brand used brown recycled bags to avoid plastic waste but has since shifted its practice after finding a supplier that creates recyclable garment bags from “100% recycled fabric from plastic bottles.“

While Harleen Kaur's unique approach and sustainability focus set it apart, the brand has faced its share of challenges in the competitive fashion industry. Cash-constrained, self-funded, and supporting herself with part-time jobs, Harleen initially struggled to reach customers and establish the brand’s customer profile. Those early years amounted to trial and error, developing a line of clothing that showcased the brand’s identity while catering to enough customers to drive sales. Even today, post-COVID, the brand has faced an unpredictable landscape, characterized by some “really low lows” and “months where we, like, kill it.”

Like many brands striving to implement sustainable fabrics, finding a consumer-friendly price target has been challenging. A few years ago, the brand released a line of recycled sequin crop tops, priced initially at $1,500. Alternatively, a well-crafted sequin top - non-recycled - would be priced at almost half that amount. Beyond the supply-side economics, Harleen finds that many people find it difficult to devote more dollars to sustainably sourced and high-quality produced garments. It’s not just a problem Harleen Kaur faces. Put simply, “there’s a persistent gap between people’s stated enthusiasm for environmentally sustainable goods, and their actual purchasing behavior of those goods.”[1] According to a joint study between McKinsey and NielsenIQ, many CPG [consumer packaged goods] executives reveal that they are unable to generate sufficient consumer demand for these products.[2] 

Harleen also faced similar challenges with kicking off her in-house resale platform - HK reFresh. While consumers were willing to trade in their worn HK garments, fewer customers, particularly among South Asians, were willing to purchase pieces second-hand. The majority of pieces being resold are in perfectly good condition, with “no visible damage… It's just that it was physically worn by somebody for two hours at an event.” As the brand continues to educate consumers on the benefits of purchasing secondhand, Harleen also believes that buying secondhand “opens up the doors to more people who could potentially afford” items that are produced sustainably at lower price points. 

Like many independent labels promoting sustainability, the label continues to battle cultural and economic hurdles. Despite these challenges, the second half of 2024 is lining up to be one for the books. With eyes in India and across the globe glued to the big, fat, Ambani wedding Harleen Kaur benefitted from some of the around-the-clock publicity. Amongst the likes of Sabyasachi, Manish Malhotra, and other luxury Haute Couture houses, several guests from the U.S. chose to represent Harleen Kaur. Additionally, Harleen Kaur held its very first fashion show in October, showcasing “a lot of brights, a lot of pastels and reds, golds, whites,” and unique hand embroideries. One of Harleen Kaur’s 2025 collection outfits was also featured in Vogue’s 32 Standout Looks From New York Bridal Fashion Week Fall 2025.

Looking ahead, Harleen strives to make HK a brand synonymous with versatility, eco-consciousness, and South Asian clothing that welcomes everyone interested in experiencing South Asian culture. Put simply, she realized, “[I] don't know of any other designer in this space that's doing what we're doing in the way that we're doing it.” The brand may not be fully sustainable, but they are eco-conscious and fully aware of the fashion industry’s impact on the environment. Harleen remains resolute in her mission. She feels that Harleen Kaur offers something that many people respond to and resonate with. As Harleen attests, the challenges can often feel unbearable, but her love for fabrics and garments makes all the work worth it. These challenges make “you work a little harder to get through them.” The brand is still in its earliest years and has much to offer all consumers, those interested in sustainable clothing and those on the market who want to purchase high-quality, versatile, and modern South Asian clothing.

[1] https://www.fastcompany.com/90975419/consumers-say-they-want-sustainability-so-why-dont-their-wallets-show-it

[2] https://www.fastcompany.com/90975419/consumers-say-they-want-sustainability-so-why-dont-their-wallets-show-it