By Naydeline Mejia
Located at the edge of Auroville sits an epicenter for conscious fashion. The Colours of Nature, founded by Spanish-born Aurovilian Jesús Ciriza Larraona in 1993, is reviving indigenous dyeing practices one garment at a time. The environmentally-friendly clothing brand is a true changemaker in natural dyeing production, providing sustainable solutions to a largely unsustainable textile industry. (For your information, the fashion industry is the second largest consumer of water resources and is responsible for up to 8-percent of global carbon emissions, per Geneva Environment Network.) Marigold, pomegranate, upcycled jackfruit tree sawdust, acacia, and madder are just a few plants the organization works with to deliver their high-quality, vibrantly-hued garments. Nevertheless, no technique is as striking as their 100-percent natural indigo dyeing process.
Atop a powdery, smooth hazel-colored floor composed of cow dung sits an array of 62 vats, each with a capacity of 1,000 liters, where the fully natural indigo fermentation process takes place. Traditionally, indigo for dyeing requires a fermentation process—either through “staled” urine or by introducing naturally-occurring microbial communities. At The Colours of Nature they utilize bacteria to initiate and maintain the fermenting process. Looking into the full vats, one notices tiny, metallic blue bubbles, which signifies the final stages of the fermentation process. If left for too long, the liquid will overferment—changing hues from a neon blue to army green (Kabish et al.). After fermenting in the vat and being properly mixed with warm water, an employee who has been with the brand for over 29 years smells the final indigo solution to ensure the pH is correct before the dyeing process can begin. Smelling the indigo, one is taken on an olfactory trip to a farm pasture, bringing the mind and body back to the cow manure under one’s feet. The experience mirrors the closed-loop system The Colours of Nature is aiming to achieve—and they’re nearly there.
Earlier this year the organization set new benchmarks in sustainable water management with the installation of an upgraded wastewater treatment system. The canonical tank filters are able to manage gray water from dye operations—extracting solid pigments from liquids—and sanitation to significantly reduce overall water usage and prevent environmental pollution. The goal is to reduce dependency on external freshwater sources by using recycled water that meets the brand’s needs. The entire project is expected to decrease the organization’s freshwater consumption by 30 to 40 percent, and reduce overall costs. Speaking about how the water filtration system works, one notices a sparkle in Jesús’s eyes. The Colours of Nature was born out of wanting to improve clean water management in the textile industry, says Petra, one of the brand’s employees, making this initiative a giant victory for them.
Not only is the organization one step closer to a closed-loop system within their brand, but they’re also helping to reverse the misuse and overconsumption of fresh water within fashion itself—setting an industry standard that’s worth taking notice of.
Learn more about The Colours of Nature and shop their items here: https://thecoloursofnature.com/
AUP Sustainable Development Practicum in Auroville, India 