Spearheading eco-fashion

Craft revivalist and textile conservationist Madhu Jain is a name to reckon with. The designer was recently conferred the Nari Shakti Puraskar 2017, the highest civilian honour for women in India, by President Ram Nath Kovind for her work in eco-fashion and sustainable production and creating alternative fibers like the biodegradable Bamboo-Silk Ikat. Spearheading the cause of eco-fashion, she is celebrating the colour indigo in her Autumn/Winter collection at the ongoing Amazon India Fashion Week 2018.

Her new collection has a predominance of shades of Indigo, as well as earthy colours such as buff, chestnut, burnt umber, amber and cerise, and draws inspiration from traditional Indonesian Ikat. “I only use natural dyes and look towards shades that reflect nature, an integral part of our existence. So, my colour palette is determined by that,” she says, adding, “Indigo, one of the oldest stains to be used in printing and dyeing, dates back to over 6,000 years ago. Extracted from plants, this natural dye has a molten depth that is arresting. I am drawn over and over again to the magic of this colour. The earthy hues in my textiles are symbiotic in their interface with the gradations in shades that I use in a particular weave. Clothes should reflect a harmony between the weave and the motifs. I am constantly striving to achieve that balance in my textiles.”

Creations by Madhu Jain at the Amazon India Fashion Week AW 2018

Talking about the challenges of developing her new clothing line, she says, “The Bamboo-Silk Ikat textile — the first textile of its kind in the world —that I am showcasing on the ramp has taken me 15 nail-biting years to perfect. I had to start from the basics. Despite the abundance of bamboo in India, even procuring the raw, rough bamboo yarn is not easy. Ensuring consistency from batch to batch was another challenge, as the quality of yarn fluctuated all the time. I had to put in diligent and extensive R&D to soften the yarn, and do an enormous amount of on-the-ground work with master weavers to familiarise them with a yarn that was so different from anything they’d worked on. The weaving of the Ikat motif in the warp and weft had to be precise.”

However, now she feels that she has developed the perfect textile. “It is a textile that has the right tensile strength, the appropriate thread count that is responsive to being blended with silk. I call it the ‘fabric of the future’ as it ticks all the right boxes in terms of the environment. It is biodegradable, eco-friendly in production, UV protective and anti-bacterial.”

The future is and indeed can only be eco-friendly and sustainable but for now comes at a cost not all can afford. “The frightening truth is that there cannot be much of a future for mankind if we do not tackle environmental concerns. The clothing industry in the country, and globally as well, needs to do its bit in being environmentally conscious. We should lead by example, which means that our production processes should leave the smallest possible carbon footprint. However, such textiles come with a monetary price tag that is borne by buyers. Factory produced fabrics are much cheaper, but harmful to the environment. Clients need to weigh one against the other, and decide for themselves what they choose. It’s also time that we started creating awareness around eco-friendly clothes. After all, connoisseurs are willing to spend more on a good wine rather than a middling one. The tribe of those who understand handloom and organic textiles — the connoisseurs — can be made to grow,” she believes.

While Madhu Jain loves bamboo, there are many other materials that she feels can be tapped. “Personally, I love bamboo. No surprises there, considering I’ve been working on refining its yarn for so many years. There are a wealth of other plant-based yarns that are being used by people all over the world. For example, yarn from pineapple and banana in the Philippines. Or banana fiber, which is being explored in India as well. There’s nettle, bichu buti, which is being experimented with in Nepal.”

She feels it is important for budding fashion designers to follow their heart. “The competition in this profession is intense; use that to your advantage by thinking up the next big thing. It’s also important to develop a good business head, to rack up sales,” she says.