Eco-printing is nothing but embracing uncertainty. When nothing's sure, everything is possible. This was the most beautiful aspect of the craft which intrigued me to step into the world of nature's magic. The hue or impression a certain plant imparts varies based on a lot of factors, including their age, texture, base fabric, and the environmental conditions in which they grew. Nature and its quirks!

When I initially wanted to start a brand selling eco-printed clothing (why would be an entire other blog in itself), I reached out to a lot of people who were conducting various workshops and practiced the craft for years. During my hunt for "the right person" to give life to my imaginations, I got in touch with Kalpana, founder of GAIA by Kalpana. Forever grateful to have her bring my craziest ideas to life.

Our Eco-Printing Trials

Initially, I came up with gazillion ideas without having much knowledge on the durability of the pigments (beautiful-looking pigments eventually faded in a wash or two), the hue each plant imparted (red hibiscus flowers gave a bluish purple ting), the importance of the wetness of base fabric, and a lot more. Thanks to Kalpana and her knowledge! After months of experimenting, disappointing and astounding outcomes, the results of our labour of love are put up on our website! Check it out here.

We walk the streets, having random conversations, fetching leaves and flowers for printing. We even borrow from friends' gardens. Each fabric is prepared by soaking in various mordants to capture the pigments better and ensure they last long. Depending on the envisioned results, we arrange the gathered foliage over the canvas. When the bundled fabric is steaming for hours, we converse on various meaningful (and meaningless) life events. As the alarm rings, we know it's time to unwrap! With each tiny bit of fabric, this moment is always filled with anxiety and excitement—witnessing what nature has painted on our canvas.

After over a year of experimenting, the one thing I have realized is that there's no set rules or textbook guidelines you can follow to achieve the exact results you wish for. Sometimes, the outcomes are disappointing, but at times they are stunning and much better than what you'd pictured. Each result instigates a whole new idea, continuing the vicious cycle of nature's numerous permutations and combinations.

Eco-printing is a practice that connects me deeper to the roots of nature. Each piece carries a part of Earth with its own story, whispered secretly. If you'd like to own a piece or explore the results of our journey, click here. For any further queries, reach out to us here.