4 September 2020, 1-2pm BST, Sustainability in Textile Production

All Talks are included in the price of a Selvedge Virtual World Fair Ticket

Friday 4 September 2020, 1-2pm BST (British Summer Time, London, UK)

Virtual event, hosted on Zoom (details of how to connect to the event will be provided closer to the event)

Presentations and discussion with Rupa Trivedi, founder of Adiv Pure Nature (India), Kalam Jhalam of RaasLeela (India) and Rashmi Bharti of Avani Erathcraft (India)

Rupa will talk about the role of temple blessings in her work, Kalam will talk about RaasLeela's slow textile approach and Rashmi will discuss Avani Earthcraft's sustainable practices as they explore Sustainability in Textile Production.

Rupa Trivedi, founder of Adiv Pure Nature
Adiv Pure Nature creates natural dyes from the temple flower offerings recycled from Hindu temples in Mumbai. This is Adiv's signature innovation. Rupa has taught a team of 12-20 urban dwellers to dye as a team and create designs using these natural methods. Designs are made using shiboris and all manner of resist dying, or direct application. 

Adiv Pure Nature has developed into a unique collaboration of traditional techniques, creating a special collection of textiles that brings the vibrancy of nature and traditional crafts together. What began as two pots in a kitchen has today grown to foster a small group of young men and women behind the ethereal fabrics of Adiv Pure Nature - giving them a steady income and opportunity to preserve traditional Indian crafts.

Hetal Shrivastav, founder of RaasLeela
RaasLeela describes itself as a sustainable clothing and accessories brand that place great importance on reducing textile waste. Made from fabric debris generated by other local design houses and repurposed as embellishment on the off-white base fabric, the only kind of fabric that the brand uses.

Reusing waste fabric is RaasLeela founder Hetal Shrivastav's attempt at being part of the solution to the problems of textile waste and the amount of fabric that finds its way into landfills. One designer's waste is another's resource. It also works to fulfil a bran ideal. Working with waste means that no two pieces, even in the same style, can be identical, which adds to the uniqueness of a RaasLeela product. Also, most of the clothing is produced in free sized and small batches. If a product sells out it's made again only on order.

Avani Earthcraft
Nestled in the Kumaon region of the Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, Avani is a community built on the principles of sustainability and local empowerment. Fusing traditional techniques with sustainable technologies, Avani's talented farmers and artisans produce exquisite, one-of-a-kind textiles, art supplies, and lifestyle products. All of their products are produced using 100% natural materials, including plant-derived dyes, sustainably harvested indigo, and locally-produced silk and wool.

Avani organised the artisans into a cooperative named the Kumaon Earthcraft Self Reliant Cooperative in 2005, more commonly known as Earthcraft.

Now Earthcraft produces a large variety of textiles, including silks, wools, and linens, in a broad array of vibrant, naturally-sourced colours. In addition to producing these textiles, Earthcraft also produces natural dyes, extracts, and pigments that can be used by other producers in the textile industry.
Earthcraft has diversified its product line to include knitted toys, clothing, crayons and watercolours for children, Himalayan soapnut powder (a natural detergent and cleanser), natural kumkum powder, and natural dyeing kits. All products weave a story of the artisans, their skills, their traditional knowledge and fosters culture of community building.