S.A.L.T Stories for sustainable clothing

India Handmade Collective brings S.A.L.T Stories, an exhibition of handmade products in natural dyes, to Hyderabad

S.A.L.T (Sustain. Act. Live. Transform.) Stories, an initiative that liaises with weavers and craftspeople working with organic cotton and natural dyes, will be hosting a three-day exhibition in Hyderabad’s Craft Council of Telangana premises, from June 17 to 19. Handwoven and handspun textiles and garments for men, women and children, with a few other artisanal products, will be showcased.

This is the third edition of S.A.L.T. Stories, after events in Bengaluru and Chennai. The Hyderabad edition will focus on labels that use natural dyes. Mahima Thangappan, coordinator of the event, reveals that 11 of the nearly 25 labels that are a part of the India Handmade Collective (IHMC), use natural dyes. Look out for brands such as Blue Lotus, Porgai, KASKOM, Magan Khadi, MGGSS, Nature Alley, Khamir, Tula Organic Clothing, Gram Sewa Mandal and Weaverbird.

What is the IHMC? During the first lockdown in 2020, there was a growing conversation on the need to step up eco-conscious practices. Ironically, it was a testing time for artisans working with organic cotton and natural dyes. It was the case of the survival of the fittest, with those who were adept with e-commerce practices managing to stay afloat. The rest had to wait till the markets revived. In November 2020, a group of like- minded individuals working with artisan clusters formed the IHMC.

Through its website (indiahandmadecollective.com), the collective tried to reach out to those who were keen to buy clothing made with labels that followed sustainable practices and were working towards reducing their carbon footprint. “There is a lot of focus on linen in India but the raw material is imported. The IHMC works with organisations that use locally available raw material and weave or spin organic cotton. Using natural dyes is an additional step that helps to curb water pollution,” says Mahima. The textile industry is one of the major contributors to water pollution.

The IHMC’s focus is on brands that use khaddar, chemical-free natural dye garments, and organic cotton.

As the situation became conducive to conducting real-time exhibitions, the IHMC conducted S.A.L.T. Stories exhibitions in Bengaluru and Chennai. The Hyderabad edition will feature textiles and garments in Bengal muslin, jamdani, kowdhi art of quilting, kaala cotton and Lambadi embroidery.

On the sidelines of the three-day exhibition, there will be workshops in spinning and natural dyeing. A hand spinning workshop will be conducted on June 17 and a natural dye workshop on June 18, which will be addressed by experts in the field such as Ramanjeneyalu, Nagendra Satish, Prof Sharada Devi, Sharmila Nagraj and V R Ananthoo.