Two-day natural dyeing workshops at Aranya Natural, Munnar

Posted on April 22, 2020 by Toothpicker

The first two days of “The sustainability of natural dyes” conference took place at Eastend hotel in Munnar, followed by two days of natural dyeing workshops (at an extra cost) at Aranya Natural’s HQ. Due to limited numbers, all the spaces for the workshops filled up quickly, but many conference attendees requested to stand by and watch, which subsequently overfilled the workshops on the first day.

It was hard to blame those who wanted to watch the workshops as it was a rare opportunity to learn from three leading natural dyeing experts and a group of Japanese indigo farmers and dyers. Since the process of natural dyeing involves the understanding of chemistry, many of the experts would focus more on the chemistry rather than the aesthetics. To me, this is quite valuable, as I believe it is crucial to understand the science behind it all in order to achieve the desired results.

The first workshop that I attended was conducted by Michel Garcia, a world-renowned botanist, chemist, dyer, and naturalist. He is the founder of Couleur Garance (1998) in Lauris, France, and established Le Jardin Conservatoire de Plantes Tinctoriales (Botanical Garden of Dye Plants) in 2000. I have long wanted to attend a workshop by Michel, but he doesn’t seem to conduct many regular workshops, and I can only watch his videos online. In person, he is very funny, passionate and creative, you can really feel his passion for plants and natural dyeing.

In natural dyeing, a mordant is often needed to fix the dyes onto the textiles, and the most common mordant used is alum/potassium aluminium sulfate. At the workshop, Michel demonstrated how to use old tea leaves as a natural mordant, which was very interesting. However, the workshop was extremely packed, which made it difficult for us to hear and follow him properly. It was a shame that this issue was only addressed on the next day.

Screen printing workshop using natural dyes with Michel Garcia

The afternoon workshop was conducted by Jagada Rajappa, who is an independent textile entrepreneur/consultant on natural dyes. She demonstrated dyeing silk yarn with kapila (mellotus Phllipinces) and lac (coccous Lacca), which resulted in vibrant red and yellow. The results revealed that naturally dyed colours are not dull and muted as many would expect.

Jagada Rajappa‘s workshop and ceremony

The next day, the workshops were restricted to those who had originally enrolled, which made more sense. The first workshop was conducted by Linda LaBelle, who is a weaver and natural dyer specialising in indigo. She also runs the website The Yarn Tree that sells fair-trade indigo and other natural dyed items. After yesterday’s observational workshops, I was longing to get my hands dirty. Finally, we got to do some doodling with natural indigo on some cotton fabric that has been pre-dyed in myrobalan. It was a fun session and we got to taste some indigo tea grown by Linda.

Indigo Doodles workshop with Linda LaBelle

The last session was the one I had been looking forward to since I signed up months ago. Buaisou was established in Tokushima by a collective of indigo farmers in 2015, and it is partly responsible for the revival of natural indigo worldwide in recent years. Not only it has over 44K followers on Instagram, it also collaborates frequently with other fashion and textiles companies to promote Japanese indigo and the colour ‘Japan Blue’. Buaisou is renowned for its indigo leaf farming – from cultivating the raw indigo, fermenting the indigo leaves (Sukumo), dyeing, and designing, all the way to production. Since the fermentation process takes around 10 days, Kyoko (the manager) had to arrive 2 weeks earlier to set up the vat.

Since I have previously tried katagami (making paper stencils for dyeing textiles) and katazome (the Japanese method of dyeing fabrics using a resist paste applied through a stencil) with Bryan Whitehead in Japan (see my earlier post), I was quite familiar with the process. This time, I didn’t need to design and cut my own stencils as there were many beautiful and complex precut designs to choose from. We were all given a cotton bandana to work on, and after applying the paste through the stencils, we all took turns to dip the fabric into the indigo vat with some guidance.

I would say this was a taster workshop, and would love to learn more from them when I next visit Tokushima (which was supposed to happen this year but it got cancelled because of COVID-19).

After the workshop, it was time to say goodbye to everyone. Over the four days, I made many new friends from around the world who share the same passion as me, and got the opportunity to chat to many experts in the field, hence the conference has exceeded all my expectations. The fact that it managed to take place just before COVID-19 became a pandemic was extremely lucky.

After exchanging contacts with many attendees, a few of us decided to walk back to town and have dinner together. It was a pleasant walk downhill and we had a fun girls’ night out – something that I haven’t done for a long time.

In the past few years, the pursue of natural dyeing has opened doors for me and enabled me to make new friends from around the world. This was completely unexpected, and it made me realise that I am on the right path.

Aranya Natural & Athulya at Srishti Welfare Centre in Munnar

Posted on April 20, 2020 by Toothpicker

Before visiting Munnar, I was not aware of the health issues related to tea plantation workers in India. Often foreign media would focus on the working conditions of garment factory workers, yet the problems related to tea plantation workers (primarily female) are largely ignored. Although they are not stuck inside cramped factories, tea plantation workers have to deal with other serious safety and health issues. Locals told me that workers not only have to work long hours at low wages, they also have to live together in communial dormitories with poor sanitation at the tea estates. Health awareness among the tea plantation workers is poor, and often they give births to children with various health conditions and disabilities, yet they receive hardly any government support.

In 1991, the Srishti Trust was formed, backed by Tata Tea Limited, to support differently-abled children of the estate workers. Founded by Ratna Krishna Kumar, the Trust launched two major projects: Aranya Natural and Athulya, aiming to rehabilitate local youngsters in a safe and fair environment. Later, Nisarga (the strawberry unit) and The Deli (a bakery and confectionery) were added to make preserves, breads and cookies using locally-grown ingredients.

Most visitors to Munnar would head to the main tourist attractions, but few would seek out the Srishti Welfare Centre. Well, they are really missing out. In 1996, the Srishti Welfare Centre moved to an abandoned shed in Tata Tea’s Nettimudi estate outside of the town centre. Their beautiful site is open to the public and visitors can meet many happy workers who are trained at natural dyeing and paper-making. What started out as an experiment has paid off for Ratna and her all-female team’, now even big corporations have employed the Trust to make paper and textiles-related products.

Aryana Natural is the natural dyeing department at Srishti. All the textiles here are created in a non-toxic environment and all the dyes are azo-free. Many dyes are locally sourced, like eucalyptus, Nilgiri kozha (eupatorium), tea waste, pine cones and other leaves, petals, roots and bark are harvested from the forest nearby. Some specific dyes are sourced elsewhere, like indigo from South India, lac from Jangir Champa, and myrobalan, from traditional medicine shops in Coimbatore. Only natural fabrics such as cotton and silk are used as they work best with natural dyes.

Every newcomer would receive training by volunteered trainers for about six months on skills particular to their aptitude and interests. Each artisan would specialise in at least one technique i.e. shibori or traditional block printing. World-renowned Japanese textile artist and researcher, Yoshiko Iwamoto Wada, regularly visits and acts as mentor to the young learners. She introduced many traditional Japanese shibori techniques to the trainees, which enable them to develop the skills further. Most of the artisans I spoke to told me that they really enjoy their work, and it was amazing to watch them work – they are fast and very skilled.

Athulya is the handmade paper unit that creates handmade paper from recycle waste paper, cut boards and other stationery waste. It is committed to use only natural additives in their paper, most of them are found around Munnar like tea, eucalyptus leaves, lemon grass, pineapple leaves, onion peel, flower petals, elephant droppings and water hyacinth (which is a weed affecting our back waters).

Now around thirty people work in this unit and they produce over 52 eco-friendly, azo-free, biodegradable recycled paper products by hand. It is also encouraging to see Starbucks hiring the unit to produce their shopping bags.

At the back of the sheds, there are a line of greenhouses growing organic vegetables and plants. Seasonal vegetables are picked and used in the Srishti canteen where nearly two hundred employees have lunch every day. There is also a playground for the staff’s children to play, and an award-winning flower garden that features a wide variety of flowers.

One cannot come here without stopping at the shop. The Aranya Natural shop has to be the most beautiful shop in Munnar. It sells one-of-a-kind handdyed scarves, clothing and home accessories made by the artisans next door. The prices are extremely reasonable and you would not be able to find them elsewhere. If you purchase here, you are directly helping the centre and the artisans, thus making a bold statement supporting sustainable textiles and fashion.

The Srishti Welfare Centre is not only a beautiful site, it is also an inspiring organisation. Before my trip, I knew little about this place, and I am flabbergasted that few people outside of the textiles world have heard of it. If you have only one day in Munnar, make sure that you spare time to visit this centre because it is well worth it.

Aranya Natural’s “The sustainability of natural dyes” conference in Munnar

Posted on April 18, 2020 by Toothpicker

The purpose of my trip to India in February was to attend a natural dyeing conference. And it took place before COVID-19 changed our lives. Aranya Natural is a natural dyeing organisation under Srishti Trust in Munnar, supported by TATA Global Beverages Limited, which runs programs for the education training and rehabilitation of the differently abled children of Munnar’s tea plantation workers. Last year, it was the organisation’s 25th anniversary, and “The sustainability of natural dyes” conference was organised as part of the celebration. However, the conference was postponed by a year after a major flood in Kerala devasted many parts of the state. It was fortunate that the conference managed to take place before COVID-19 started to spread in India, otherwise it would have been cancelled for the second time.

Honestly, I am not a big fan of conference and would rarely volunteerily attend one. Yet this conference was like no other, and I felt that it would be beneficial if I want to continue my natural dyeing practice. To me, natural dyeing is not merely a hobby, it has become my passion and aspiration in recent years. Currently, we are seeing a revival of natural and indigo dyeing as many people realise the harmful effects of synthetic dyes on our bodies and environment.

Left: The conference schedule; Right: A local indigo farmer and conference attendee

The 2-day conference took place at Eastend Hotel in Munnar, bringing dyers, manufacturers, teachers, designers, farmers, and enthusiasts etc together from Indian and around the world. One huge draw for me was the list of speakers, which included experts like Yoshiko Wada, Jenny Balfour Paul, Michel Garcia, Charlotte Kwon (Maiwa), Dominique Cardon, Jagada Rajappa and Buaisou… these are all big names in the natural dyeing and textiles world, so it was a rare opportunity to meet them all in one room.

One factor differentiates Aranya Natural from other organisations – it is an all-women team led by a visionary founder, Ratna Krishnakumar. Since India is a patriarchal society, it is inspiring to see the empowerment of women here. The fact is women in India are likely to face more challenges than women in the West, so being able to run an all-female team here is highly commendable.

The conference also addressed the most important issue that we are facing in the textiles and fashion industry today – sustainability. The rise of fast fashion has done immense damage to our environment in the past decade or so, hence the conference aimed to increase the awareness of natural dyes, and discuss how the industry can shift from using synthetic dyes to more sustainable ones.

Until recently, sustainability has been fashion industry’s last concern. If you trace the path of your favourite item from Primark, then you might be in for a surprise. Your ‘bargain’ £10 shirt probably costs about £3-4 to make, meanwhile the garment factory worker in Bangladesh would receive less than £1 for a day’s work (14-16 hours). Aside from exploitation of these workers, the environmental damage caused by the chemicals used is unaccountable. Although India has had a long history with natural dyes, many garment manufacturers have now switched to synthetic dyes to cope with the high demand from the fast fashion sector. Natural dyes have been pushed aside due to higher costs. lower production rate and more labour intensive.

So, how can we re-introduce natural dyes back into the profit-driven industry? There are no easy answers, but I did meet some young Indian designers at the conference who are using natural dyes to create beautiful designs. I do hope that they will change the landscape of Indian fashion in the future.

Soham Dave and his sustainable collection

When I was still a student years ago, I bought my first shibori book, “Shibori: The Inventive Art Of Japanese Shaped Resist Dyeing” by artist, author, and curator, Yoshiko Iwamoto Wada. This is an important book to me and I never thought I would get the chance to meet Yoshiko in person, but I did – we even exchanged contacts, and later had dinner together, which all felt a bit surreal. Besides Yoshida, I also spoke to other speakers like Dominique Cardon, Michel Garcia, Axel Becker, Jagada Rajappa, William Ingram from Threads of Life, and Rashmi Bharti, the co-founder of Avani. The conference also enabled me to connect and make friends with attendees from around the world. Many of them are dyers, designers, textiles teachers, and shop owners etc, so I found the whole experience valuable and unforgettable.

The talks on both days covered a wide range of topics relating to sustainability and natural dyeing, but the word ‘indigo’ was a key term at the conference. Indigo is probably the most mysterious and complex natural dye of all. Indigofera is a flowering plant of over 750 species and belongs to the pea family, Fabaceae. It has been in cultivation in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide for many centuries, yet the characteristics of each specie varies and can yield different shades of blue. The world-renowned indigo expert writer, artist and curator, Jenny Balfour-Paul has published several indigo-related books, and she was the last speaker to give a talk on indigo. Not long ago, I read her novel “Deeper than Indigo: Tracing Thomas Machell, Forgotten Explorer“, hence it was interesting to hear her examine the colour ‘blue’ from many angles.

Talks and slides on indigo

On both evenings after the conference, there were entertainments including dance and music performances, violin recital, and fashion show. The fashion show featured natural dyed designs created by Riddhi Jain (Studio Medium), Sreejith Jeevan (Studio Rouka) and Sunita Shankar. Unlike other fashion shows, their show was modelled by workers at Srishti, which was more authentic and fun.

Based in New Dehli, Riddhi Jain is a rising star in India’s fashion world who has won the Elle Decor India Design Awards, International Craft Awards and India Story design awards amongst others. She told me that she employs a small team of artisans and designers to create beautiful hand-dyed and hand-stitched shibori pieces that are one of a kind. I love her designs, and honestly, I would rather spend my money on an unique handmade piece that supports a local craft community than a designer piece that supports its marketing campaigns and executives.

3rd row: Riddhi Jain and her collection; 4th row: Sunita Shankar and her collection; bottom row: Sreejith Jeevan and his collection.

I never knew that conferences could be so exhausting! Besides two full-day talks from 9am to 5pm, I did not anticipate two hours of evening entertainments, followed by dinners at 9 pm on both nights. Despite the lack of rest, I was still looking forward to attending two more days of workshops led by different experts. And I got to visit the beautiful site of Aranya Natural, which is located outside of the polluted town centre.

To be continued…

I loved my conference gift bag

Eat and shop in Fort Kochi

Posted on March 26, 2020 by Toothpicker

Kashi Art Gallery

Prior to my visit to Fort Kochi, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Yet after I arrived, I felt very at ease and safe. Despite the hot weather, it was pleasant to stroll around and enjoy the Bohemian atmosphere. There are many art galleries/cafes, heritage accommodations, churches and cool shops. My biggest surprise was to see many unique fashion boutiques and concept shops selling handdyed/handprinted clothing and handmade accessories. I think that there are more interesting independent shops here than Central London, and that is not an exaggeration.

Since I arrived very early and wasn’t able to check in yet, I decided to have breakfast at the nearby Kashi Art Gallery. Kashi Art Gallery is located inside a converted old Dutch house, which opened in 1977. Over the years, Kashi Art Gallery and Café has become the hub of Kochi’s contemporary art scene and popular hangout for young locals and tourists. I love the photography exhibition at the small gallery at the front, and I found the cafe very relaxing, which was a good start for ne after a long flight.

Kashi Art Gallery and cafe

Another popular cafe in the area is the Loafers Corner cafe located in a restored 200-year-old Dutch-Portuguese-style building. I visited the cafe later in the afternoon and bagged a seat by the window where I could watch the world go by from above. When I find chilled-out cafes like these during my travels, it does bring me joy… I am not a big fan of fancy and trendy cafes/restaurants; personally I prefer places with character/history/relaxing ambience. Hence, it is no wonder why this cafe is extemely popular with young locals and tourists.

Loafers Corner cafe

The next day I had lunch at the vegan Loving Earth Yoga Cafe, which is a yoga studio, cafe and a social enterprise. This is another expat’s favourites, and I guess it is catered for the health-conscious bunch. It is also spacious and relaxing, and a good place to eat healthy vegan dishes. My only complaint is that many dishes were not available on the day, so the choices were a bit limited.

Loving Earth Yoga Cafe

Farmers cafe & banana leaf-wrapped fish

After my trip to India last year, I completely fell in love with Indian clothing. In the UK, it is not easy to find contemporary Indian fashion, and even if you do, it is extremely overpriced. Hence I was looking forward to exploring the boutiques in Fort Kochi, and my first stop was Napier Street. Aside from Fab India (one of my favourite mid-range priced shop), there is a pop-up shop called Aambal eco clothing store. The shop has many handdyed and well-designed items that are all sustainable. All the items here are made by independent designers from around India and they are all very unique. Prices are reasonable especially if you compare it with London, so I do recommend a visit to this shop.

Aambal eco clothing store (Napier Street)

Anchovy is another cool boutique that sells contemporary fashion, accessories, vintage items and many illustration books by my favourite Indian publisher, Tara books.

Anchovy boutique (Vasco da Gama Square, Church Road)

I wanted to buy a book on Indian flowers and plants, so I went to a local book shop called Idiom Book Sellers. The shop sells both new and second-hand books, including Indian literature, history, cookery, and travel etc. I managed to find a few books on Indian plants and flowers, and I bought a small one published by DK to be used as a mini guide during my travels. The book seller was very friendly and agreed to let me take a photo of him.

Idiom Book Sellers (1/348, Bastion Street)

There are a few intesting shops on Lilly Street, and one of them is Anokhi, a well-known Indian brand originated from Jaipur selling fashion, textiles, accessories and home furnishings that are handmade by craftsmen. Their designes often feature traditional motifs and techniques, like blockprinting, natural dyeing and embroidery, which are popular with locals and tourists.

Anokhi

Further down the street is Kochi Kochi, a nice shop selling clothing and accessories that are hand-blockprinted onto recycled materials. I got to meet and speak to the designer and craftsman, who is keen to keep his designs as sustainable as possible. Yet this does not compromise the quality. I bought a long dress here and was complemented by many when I worn it to a dinner the week after. The staff here are friendly and prices are very reasonable, so it is not to be missed.

Next to Kochi Kochi is Via Kerala Design Shop, a design shop that sells a variety of accessories, products and souvenir made by local designers. At the front of the shop, there is also a small exhibition area showcasing interesting local art and design works.

Kochi Kochi and Via Kerala Design Shop

I didn’t expect to see concept stores in Fort Kochi, but I came across two intriguing upmarket ones while I was wandering around. One of them is Cinnamon Boutique, a modern lifestyle store located inside a converted Dutch bungalow. Designed by Italian architect Andrea Anastasio, there space includes a restaurant and shop selling chic fashion, jewellery and homeware made by Indian designers and artists.

Cinnamon boutique (1/658 Ridsdale Road, Parade Ground)

Another one is lcoated in Calvetti near the Boat Jetty called Pepper House. Originally a warehouse for spices, now it has been converted into a cultural centre, which includes a library, a design shop and a coffee shop. It is definitely a very cool-looking venue.

Pepper House

Although most cool clothing shops are located in the centre of Fort Kochi, there are many craft and antiques/vintage shops located in Jew Town/Mattancherry. One of the larger ones is called Ethnic Passage, which is a 2-storey shopping gallery that sells handicrafts, home accessories, handmade souvenir (downstairs) and larger vintage furniture upstairs. Personally, I found the shops in Mattancherry more commercial than Fort Cochin, so I didn’y linger too long in this part of town.

Ethnic Passage

Festival of Natural Fibres & Saori weaving at Craft Central

Posted on December 12, 2019 by Toothpicker

Even though I live in London, I don’t often venture away from my neighbourhood or the centre, and I had no idea where the Isle of Dogs is until I looked it up on google. I have not been to the Craft Central‘s new venue since they moved across town more than two years ago. Their new space is a Grade II listed Victorian (1860) forge with many historic features located Isle of Dogs not far from Canary Wharf. The spacious industrial building was converted by Emrys Architects to provide artist studios and exhibition hall for crafts people and other creative professionals.

I missed the Festival of Natural fibre in Sept, but I attended part 2 of the festival in November. Organised by Khadi London, Freeweaver SAORI Studio, ONE and Craft Central, the festival aimed to showcase the best ethical and sustainable products, and discussed current trends and challenges in the revolution in the global textiles industry. Personally, I I believe that when the public learn more about the environmental damage caused by fast fashion, many are likely to change their shopping habits (though it takes times), and this festival highlights the beauty and sustainability of textiles and fashion made from natural fibres.

There were textiles workshops throughout the day, but unfortunately they were all fully booked when I tried to book. It shows the popularity of these craft workshops nowadays!

There was a demonstration of Indian Charkha wheel spinning, a craft that is often associated with Mahatma Gandhi and regarded as the symbol of the Provisional Government of Free India. The handwoven cloth spun by the wheel is called Khadi, which is usually made of cotton or other natural fiber cloth originating from India and Bangladesh. Also, the yarn used is dyed naturally, so it is much more sustainable than synthetic dyes.

Bottom: House of tamarind

At the event, there were some items that are woven with natural fibres in the Japanese Saori weaving style, which I found quite fascinating. Established by Misao Jo (1913-2018) at the age of 57, Saori is free style hand weaving with no rules or restrictions. There is a sense of freedom and liberation, and it enables the weaver to express his/her creativity through the weaving.

Although I couldn’t sign up for the workshop on the day of the festival, I did sign up for a workshop with textiles artist Erna Janine from Freeweaver Saori studio a few weeks after the event ended. Erna helped us to set up the loom and asked us to pick from a wide range of coloured threads from her studio.

For next few hours, we were just weaving away and being as creative as possible. Since there were no rules, I decided to go a bit ‘wild’ and make a more 3-D piece with the wool I found. I absolutely loved the experience, and I wished that the workshop was longer. I used to think that weaving is a boring and repetitive task, but this workshop completely changed my mind, and I am hoping to learn more about this craft in the future.

LDF19: Biodesign Here Now at Open Cell

Posted on September 30, 2019 by Toothpicker

After my recent visit to the biotech hub Open Cell at the Shepherds Bush Market, I was keen to learn more about biodesign and its future. Luckily, I didn’t have to wait long because at the London Design Festival this year, Open Cell organised an event called Biodesign Here Now at its premise over one weekend.

The event showcased over 30 emerging international designers and startups with innovative ideas that are breaking boundaries between biology, design, and technology. Although I missed the fashion show on the opening night, I did manage to visit the exhibition and listen to some designers talk about their projects.

Yggdrasil – an architecture collective of PhD researchers from Newcastle University specialising in living technologies for the future. Our mission is to challenge conventional methods of construction by proposing an ecocentric alternative. We believe that the buildings of the future should be living, breathing and inclusive of nature.

Paula Nerlich – her current research explores vegan biodegradable bioplastics and foams from industrial and household food waste with diverse possible applications within interiors and product design.

Nina Jotanovic (in collaboration with Bartlett School of Architecture) – ‘Biogenic Luminosity’ is a research project that questions ‘flat’ appearance and unsustainability of synthetic materials in comparison to those of biogenic and geologic origin.

Mohammad Jawad – Manufactured by Nature: Growing Generatively Designed Products

Post Carbon Lab – a design research studio launched their service pilots of two pioneering microbiological processes for sustainable and regenerative fashion applications: Bacterial Pigment Dyeing and Photosynthesis Coating on fabrics and garments.

Aurelie Fontan is a sustainable fashion designer, with a focus on bio-design and circular economy (including zero-waste production methods in texture making and cutting). Her collection includes a bio-designed dress from bacteria, recycled materials and four fully recycled leather outfits, none of them being sewn together but rather linked through innovative re-usable elements that allow complete disassembly and recycling.

Piero D’Angelo’s Wetwear Couture uses Physarum Polycephalum/slime mould to create fascinating fashion pieces

Nicole Stjernswärd – KAIKU Living Color is a sustainable alternative to colours made from petroleum. KAIKU uses plant waste to create natural powder pigments. Many plants & fruits we eat every day, such as avocados, onions, and oranges, have valuable colors within their skins and peels. Normally these are left to rot in landfills, but KAIKU transforms this waste into a high value resource.

Nikoletta Karastathi & Zafer Tandogdu’s ‘Awareness of the Microbial World’ explores antimicrobial resistance and the human-microbe relationship as key concepts for creating bio-textile.

Carolyn Raff uses Agar Agar, an algae based gelatin substitute for many different experiments as a new kind of bioplastic. The complete biodegradable material can be created in many different shades, looks and structures. It is dyed with natural dye, mainly with algae based colours, such as astaxanthin and phycocyanin.

Top & bottom left: Mira Nameth – ‘Biophilica’ is the result of a year long material development, working with plant-based resources. Biophilica materials are truly local, biodegradable, and recyclable.

Bottom right: Chiara Tommencioni Pisapia – ‘Made by moths’ is a project that investigates the potential of clothes moths and their digestive enzymes as collaborators in selecting and breaking down keratin-based textile-waste.

Silvio Tinello – ‘Grown Objects’ is a collection where all the producrs have been bio-fabricated. This means, grown and harvested using biological processes. Grown in two predominant materials: A fungi bio agglomerate and bacterial cellulose, both grown in yerba mate: part of the “argentine cultural DNA’.

Left: Lah Studio – ‘The Resistance Runner’ is a bio-formulated shoe that utilizes cloned bacteriocins and micrococcus in a nutrient broth cocktail; essentially harnessing the bacteria’s own defense system as a protective layer.

Right: MIT Media Lab’s Fluid Interfaces group creates ‘Wearable Lab on Body’ wearable systems and interfaces for cognitive enhancement.

Valentina Dipietro – ‘Mychrome’ is a project that explores the possibility of mycelium and its surface applications. Mycelium is the vegetative part of mushrooms and it has been used to bind agricultural waste and create new sustainable materials which are naturally fire retardant, insulating and sound-absorbing. Dipietro likes to focus on designing with waste as well as using it as a pigment to dye and finish her materials.

Midushi Kochhar – ‘A waste project’ is made from by-products of poultry industry, namely, eggshells and feathers. The aim is to create alternatives for plastic disposables and encourage sustainable living. All the objects are 100% biodegradable and once their purpose is over, they can literally be crushed and thrown away in the compost.

Pat Pataranutaporn from MIT gave a talk on the future of ‘Wearable Lab on Body’

Denimaize gave a talk on denim made from corn husk

The last talk of the day was by Denimaize, a studio from the University of Pennsylvania, which includes bio-designers, artists and engineers. They use wasted and diseased corn husks and process them to extract their cellulose fibers. The corn fibers are spun with flax and woven in a twill pattern. The fabric is then coloured with microbial dye and relaxed with cellulase enzymes. Denimaize is a response to the dominance of the corn crop in the U.S. and the waste it generates, as well as the pollution in the denim industry. Denimaize is proposing a biological (albeit corny) alternative to the old way of denim processing.

The weekend event was interesting and inspiring, and it is very encouraging to see so many designers, startups and innovators coming up with sustainable solutions to address the issues our planet is facing right now. Sustainability is not a trend, it has to be here to stay for the sake of our future.

A visit to the Biotech hub, Open Cell

Posted on September 16, 2019 by Toothpicker

Shepherds Bush market

In the last few years, we are hearing more of the terms ‘biodesign’ and ‘biotech’, but is it a fad or a breakthrough that will change our world? Recently, I joined a design-oriented walk called ‘Human: Biophilia in community and design’ organised by the Design Museum and curated by Something & Son to find out more about the biophilic communities and projects that is taking place in London today.

It has been years since I visited the Shepherds Bush market, and I was surprised to learn that a biotech hub is now situated in the middle of the market. Opened last year, Open Cell is a biotech hub for startups and designers located at the Old Laundry Yard, with 45 shipping containers that have been converted into labs, workshops and office space. Founded by Helene Steiner and Dr Thomas Meany, they aim to create a low-cost labspace with a user-centric focus, and provide a flexible testbed where innovative lab designs can be rapidly installed and tested.

We were greeted by Helene Steiner at the yard, and she gave us a tour around the area and explained about the work they do. I found it encouraging to see these affordable and community-driven labs because as many of the world resources are becoming scarcer, it makes sense to use the living organism around us to create alternative, innovative and sustainable materials for our future.

We met a bio fashion designer Piero D’Angelo who uses slim mould to create textiles and fashion, which is absoultely fascinating. The slime mould would also release a scent that makes people aware of any pollution in the surroundings. I never thought I would want slime mould on my skin, but maybe it is time to change my preconception.

Piero D’Angelo

We also met with three architects Paola Garnousset, Pierre de Pingon and Martin Detoeuf, who are the founders of Blast Studio. The collective uses mycelium, the root network of mushrooms, and coffee cup waste to create a series of homeware and furniture called ‘lovely trash’. Since 500 billion coffee cups are discarded globally and mostly end up in land, this project is a great way to upcycle these coffee cups. The cups are processed into a substrate that enables the mycelium to be fed on. This mycelium material can be transformed into vases and furniture through the 3-D laser printer. The results are very interesting and look almost like ceramics!

Blast Studio

The tour of the Open Cell lab was eye-opening, and it has given me more hope about the future. I believe that not only the way we consume has to change, but sustainable innovations are necessary to change our future, and hopefully biodesign/ biotechnology will play a crucial role in the years/decades to come.

“An Enquiring Mind: Manolo Blahnik” exhibition at the Wallace Collection

Posted on August 18, 2019 by Toothpicker

One might expect museums like V & A or the Design Museum to dedicate an exhibition on the world’s most famous shoe designer, Manolo Blahnik. Yet the “An Enquiring Mind: Manolo Blahnik” exhibition opened at The Wallace Collection, a smaller and less well-known museum converted from an opulent 18th century former townhouse of the Seymour family, Marquesses of Hertford behind the busy Oxford Street. This pairing, turns out to be perfect. Co-curated by Wallace Collection’s Director Dr Xavier Bray and Manolo Blahnik himself, 160 of his designs are displayed across 10 rooms alongside the masterpieces at the museum, and they look very at home here.

The exhibition brought back memories for me – it reminded me of my first visit to Blahnik‘s small London boutique off Kings Road when I was still a student. This was in the early 90s, before he became the superstar shoe designer (thanks to the TV show ‘Sex and the City’). Back then, Blahnik was already famous within the fashion industry, and popular among socialites and Royalty like Princess Diana, but it was not yet a household name. My cousin and her friend were studying architecture at the AA, and they were big fans of Blahnik‘s designs, notably his high heels. I went to the boutique with them and watched them try on boots and pumps that were 3 or more inches high for over an hour (we were the only people there). I was a bit of a Tomboy then, and I fathomed why anyone would want to torture themselves by wearing these high heels.

Eventually, my cousin did return to buy a pair of high heeled boots after long ‘consideration’, but she worn them once and then complained that they were too high and she struggled to walk in them! It was then I realised that people are possessed by beauty, so much so that practicality can be thrown out of the window sometimes. Beauty is power.

Wandering around the museum, it was apparent that many of Blahnik‘s designs were inspired by art. His shoes interweave art, design and craftsmanship, hence they do not look out of place among the 18th century paintings and furniture.

Overall, I think the interactive display works well at this exhibition. Though sometimes I found it hard to focus due to the glittery decor esp. in the Rococo style rooms, I did get used to it after some time. In my opinion, the display inside the Budoir Cabinet is one of the most harmonious one.

Although I am still not a fan of high heels, I do appreciate its beauty and underlying power. After spending many years dancing Argentine tango whilst wearing dance shoes with heels that are more than 7.5 cm high, I learned to endure the pain for the sake of beauty, posture, and an air of confidence that is seemingly linked to the heels. My foot pain has stoped me from danicng now, but I would not forget how the heels made me feel on the dance floor.

Manolo Blahnik is not only a master craftsman and designer, he also understands women’s desires. Blahnik’s shoes are not designed for practicality (you can choose to wear Crocs instead), rather they embody beauty, seduction, power, desires and fantasies. Hence, even though mass-produced trainers/sneakers continue to dominate the footwear industry, Manolo Blahnik‘s delicate and feminine designs will always endure and remain the objects of desire in many women’s hearts.

Sustainable fashion and textiles – it’s not too late to change.

Posted on August 10, 2019 by Toothpicker

Fashioned from Nature exhibition at The V & A museum

It is time to face the truth: the fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. This is not fake news, it is a fact.

Confession 1: I am guilty of polluting the environment, and I have been doing it for decades without being fully aware of it. I think most of us have. Yet we cannot go on ignoring the consequences of our unintentional actions.

Confession 2: I have always loved fashion, and I even worked in the industry briefly in my 20s. I have bought countless of clothing and accessories at sales without wearing them, and I ended up selling most of my stuff on ebay or donating them to Oxfam.

Fashioned from Nature: Designing a Sustainable Future conference at The V & A museum

Last year, I visited the Fashion from nature exhibition at The V & A museum and attended the Fashioned from Nature: Designing a Sustainable Future conference that accompanied the exhibition. Then back in Jan, I visited the Future Fabrics Expo orgainsed by the non-profit organisation, The Sustainable Angle. I figured that in order to be a better consumer/designer/retailer, I’d better educate myself first.

Over the last few years, I made a conscious decision to change the way I consume, and I went about it in several ways:

I unsubscribed myself from newsletters sent by most fashion companies, and I rarely go out to shop for clothing unless it is essential.

If I see fashion items I like in the shops or online, I would not buy immediately. I would wait a few weeks and if I love it THAT much, then I would check again to see if it is still available. Most of the time, the item would either be sold out or I have completely forgotten about it.

I always check the fabrics and materials. If you think cotton is good, think again. Cotton production actually requires huge quantities of land, water, fertilisers and pesticides, and has a negative impact on the environment. Organic cotton is a more eco-friendly option.

After I started to learn about natural dyeing, I became more aware of the negative impact that synthetic dyes have on the environment. Although natural dyed items requires a lot of water and are more expensive to produce, they are much preferable to the synthetic ones.

Go vintage… I rummaged around my wardrobe and found many hardly-worn items bought years ago that still look good today. Mixing old with new is what I like to do these days.

Mend or upcycle your clothing – I think it can be fun and creative. I have already put a pile of old cotton t-shirts aside to be dyed naturally. I can’t wait to redesign them!

Sell unwanted clothing and accessories online – I have been doing it for years and have sold many items that I no longer wear on ebay and other websites. If the item has sat in the wardrobe untouched for over 2 years, then it’s time to review it.

Buy good quality and timeless pieces that would not look outdated in 10 or even 20 years’ time. Luckily, I have never really been into fast fashion, so I have items from 10 to 15 years ago that I can still wear without cringing about them.

Buy from sustainable fashion brands that actually care about the environment and workers.

Last but not least – simply buy less.

In the last few years, there are many interesting sustainable fashion brands that offer consumers alternative options, and even the big fast fashion brands are making changes or introducing new eco lines. Aside from pioneers like Stella McCartney, People Tree, Komodo and Patagonia, there are others like Bethany Williams, Aiayu, Ecoalf, Beaumont Organic, Thought, Armedangels, Lowie, Bibico, PIC style, Vildnis, EKO, G-Star Raw, King of Indigo, Lemuel MC and Veja… to name a few.

You can also learn more about the issues and secrets of the fashion world through the following documentaries:

The true cost directed by Andrew Morgan.

Riverblue directed by David McIlvride and Roger Williams.

Dirty white gold directed by Lee Borromeo.

China Blue, Store Wars: When Wal-Mart Comes to Town trilogy and Bitter seeds are part of the Globalization trilogy directed by Micha Peled

The Machinists directed by Hannan Majid and Richard York

Machines directed by Rahul Jain

The next black on the future of fashion (free to watch)

Alex James: Slowing Down Fast Fashion

Stacey Dooley Investigates Fashions Dirty Secrets

It is never to late to change our buying habits, and if we all become more aware of what and how we consume, it will inevitably bring about changes and have a more positive impact on our planet.

LCW 19: Blue Innovations: Contemporary Czech Indigo Prints

Posted on June 19, 2019 by Toothpicker

Ever since I became interested in indigo dyeing a few years ago, I noticed that the resurgence of natural indigo is also taking place around the world. The art and science of natural indigo dyeing is an important world heritage that connects us all, and its timely revival reminds us that this ancient art/craft is universal as it has been practised in different parts of the world for centuries and even millennia.

The Blue Innovations exhibition at the Czech Centre London that showcased the established craftsmanship of indigo textile-printing production in the Czech Republic. Prior to the visit, I did not realise that traditional indigo printing techiniques have been integral to Czech culture for centuries and are listed as UNESCO‘s lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage. I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that contemporary Czech fashion designers are now using traditioanl indigo printing techniques to produce beautiful and high quality handmade clothing and soft furnishings.

The small exhibition was curated by Alice Klouzková, a Czech fashion designer and curator who has collaborated with many Czech indigo craftsmen, and is determined to revive this ancient craft in her country and introduce it to audience abroad.

Sadly, there are only two remaining wood block printing workshops in the Czech Republic, in Olesnice and Straznice. Their techniques and formulas were inherited from father to son and were kept as family secrets. Now younger Czech fashion designers are working with these workshops and incoporating indigo dyed patterned prints into their designs to produce more sustainable and unique items. These designers include Monika Drapalova, Martina Dvořáková (MADE BY ORDINARY), Adéla Součková, and artist Petra (Gupta) Valentová etc.

The revival of natural indigo dyeing around the globe is far from a coincidence. It is part of the sustainable fashion and slow movements that are driven by designers, artisans, craftsmen, curators, and many consumers who are rejecting the fast fashion industry. Now is the time for all of us to reflect and go back to the basics, and I salute all those who are swimming against the tide to make this change happen.

toothpicnations

is a theme-based online shop and platform that showcases contemporary Asian designs.

Category Archives: Fashion

Eat and shop in Fort Kochi

Festival of Natural Fibres & Saori weaving at Craft Central

“An Enquiring Mind: Manolo Blahnik” exhibition at the Wallace Collection

LCW 19: Blue Innovations: Contemporary Czech Indigo Prints