In many ways, we have built our brand on the age-old maxim that for a product, for a business to last, it has to be inherently sustainable — the very essence and core innately in harmony with context and environment. We have worked to build that foundation not only with every step of our production process, but also with respect to the values we carry ourselves forward with.
Our campaign, Sustainability Sutras has in large part worked to celebrate and highlight the different ways of sustainable living that have characterised Indic life for millenia, continuing to the present day. Passed down from generation to generation orally, behaviourally, these traditions form the rich foundation from which our products grow and bloom.
When we tangled with the ideas of sustainable fashion, we decided to go back to our roots, the origins of Indian fashion to find solutions to the issues that cropped up. We wanted to use eco-friendly fabrics and dyes, sustainable processes, create fashion that, like Indic wear, would withstand the test of time.
With all this in mind, AdiValka truly embraced our Indic identity as we established ourselves as a brand focused on the ideals of adaptability, comfort and protection.
The concept of sustainability itself is all about finding a way of living that supports the environment as much as possible. One of the key characteristics of Indic fashion, that continues today, is how every aspect of making the final product was eco-friendly, and sustainable. Every step of the process encourages mindfulness and respect for the environment, and the user.
In our previous blog post, we mentioned how our values and brand mission have been profoundly influenced by the values of the designers, workmen, and tailors who gave us this rich heritage of Indic fashion. We connect deeply with the history and traditions we owe our lifestyles to today with every step of our journey.
Wherein all Indic wear has traditionally been crafted from natural fibres — cotton, hemp, silk, jute, you name it — we have also followed that path with our choices of fabrics. All our products are made from 100% cotton. And, what’s more, all of the dyes we use come from natural pigments derived from plants and plant products such as vegetables, fruits, flowers, leaves, and roots, rather than synthetic dyes.
Moreover, the fabric that we use is sourced from local artisans and is often handwoven, hand-painted or both — and rightly so, even today, India holds 95% of the world’s hand-woven fabric.
Handwork is a big part of our practice. Our garments are always hand block-printed, their borders embellished with hand stitches — a symbol of the age-old traditions that harken back to hand-sewn clothes, the origins of garment making— each product is made to order, keeping the wearer in mind.
As believers in the Indic philosophy of bringing the practice of yoga beyond the mat and into our everyday lives, we work to be intentional in our process, keeping us one with the product, the wearer, and the environment from which we source the materials to create our garments. We strive to have every detail invoke deep harmony with nature and the environment.
Supporting the local industries has never been more important than it is today. As we celebrate the tradition of Sustainability that is central to Indic thought, philosophy, and life, we, at AdiValka, also hope to pave a way forward for what it means to be an Indic fashion brand practicing sustainability in our every process, thought and intention.
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