CREATING ECO PRINT FABRIC

Read about how we created the Eco print dress!

Using fresh flower petals is a very sustainable way to print and the result is beautiful. Natural coloring is absolutely ideal to use since it doesn’t take any excessive energy or water and there is no chemicals in the process. That is what we are all about! We also like to be transparent in the way we work, so here is the story about how the dress was made, all the way!

Together  Bina from Contemporary-Craft, USA which is a Fair Trade Federation certified company, and Magan Sangrhalaya, An NGO based in central India, near Nagpur, MH, India we created the fabric. They are dedicated to the cause of developing Indian village industries.

We decided what the colors and patterns we wanted and what fabric and flowers we should use to get the best result.

In the very beginning of the process we had to wait for the right time of the season to pick fresh marigold flower for the golden yellow color and dhwari for the brown leaf pattern.

Meanwhile the gajji silk fabric was being weaved. The print is hand crafted by artisans in Nagapur, central India. Using their traditional and indigenous knowledge and skills. When all flower petals was picked they are spread on the fabric. Eco printing draws pigments from plants and flowers to make patterns. Plants and flowers are laid out on the fabric, as flat as possible. The fabric is then tightly rolled, tied with string, and steamed. Fabric is unrolled and washed using mild soap and cold water. The color is then fixed by boiling the fabric using Alum, a natural fixing agent.

This is a time-consuming process and the result of the pattern varies a lot, but it is worth it and it all comes out in natural shades and shapes.

As always, ORES designs and make the pattern construction. The dresses are then made in Lithuania by the conscious garment manufacturers Kloteksa

We hope you like it!