Mission: Keeping our Water Clean, using 100% Natural Dyes
Humanity depends on clean waters for our continued evolution. The fashion industry tends to be a polluting one and our mission is to safeguard clean waters by helping establish natural dyes as a viable alternative to synthetic dyes.
Having revived the 100% Natural Indigo Fermentation Process is testament to our dedication. With that as our starting point, we now master a vibrant palette using only natural, mainly plant based, dyes.
Offering Sustainable Livelihood
The Colours of Nature (TCoN) employs a total of 100+ dyers, tailors, embroiderers, and other artisans, offering viable sustainable livelihood to people from the Auroville bio-region.
Keeping Ancient Knowledge Alive
In face of consumerism and a throwaway culture, preserving ancient artisanal knowledge is precious.
Specifically, we are custodians of natural dyes techniques such as the 100% Natural Indigo Fermentation process and hand embroidery. We also use traditional techniques such as wax resist block printing, a type of batik, and shibori, another ‘resist style’ with the Japanese verb ‘shiboru’ meaning ‘to wring, squeeze and press’, although we also stitch to keep sections out of the reach of our natural dyes.
Our very operations help keep ancient artisanal knowledge alive, whilst continuously researching and reinventing to improve on it.
Any and all of our products are testament to the ancient knowledge and promote the aliveness of the same.
Nurturing Local
- Auroville's Centre for Scientific Research (CSR) made our indigo vats
- Wood from sustainable Auroville forests, sometimes brought by bullock cart, bring our wood in a slow fashion
- We collaborate with other worthy Auroville units, such as Auromics.
Fostering Innovation & applying New Technologies
Some may think that with our focus on artisanal and handmade we are somewhat backward, but this far from true. Yes, our dyeing and manufacturing are very labour intensive but this brings employment to many. Nevertheless, we are continuously researching and innovating and ready to automate and have various plans for machinery ready that can help us do so.
Wasting nothing
Some of our most recent work is based on the upcycling of fabric – including small scraps – that might have otherwise been mistaken for “dead stock”. To us, nothing ever dies, and no Natural Dyes are ever wasted. In a project engaging two NIFT students, we created two collections that had as their starting point to organise fabrics for reuse.
Standing Firm against racism, Celebrating all our Colours
Whilst our core focus lies on applying the colours of nature on textiles in various way, we are also 100% committed to the raison d’être of Auroville - that of manifesting a real human unity. Where better to do this within the realm of fashion, one that still has a long way to go to challenge the current (false) norms.