After a long hiatus touching base again. We have been busy at Whitewater Designs putting together our first collection of socially and
environmentally conscious textile and craft products for children.
Whitewater is an initiative to introduce a new born
baby to the world of storytelling through organic
textiles. Most of us, who have grown up in cities, have read and heard western
stories in our growing up years and are not familiar with the rich treasure of
Indian folklore. At Whitewater, we aim to change that. The stories narrated
through Whitewater products are part of a rich culture we
are gradually forgetting. Inspiration is also drawn from everyday observations
and personal experiences, not dominated by seasonal trends. These flashes of
ideas are penned down as poems to be read aloud to children, and also form the
inspiration board for developing the signature prints and appliques.
Our first collection "Mother's Love" was officially launched last year.
The poem, inspired by my nephew's visit to the zoo for his birthday was
translated into playful block prints and hand appliques. Bright polkas
and chevron patterns with subtle hand needlework added colour to the
muted block prints in natural natural indigo and madder. Together, they
provided the starting point for a range of bedding, decor and clothing
for infants and toddlers.
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| Block printed fabric drying in the sun before they are coloured in a village in Kutch, Gujarat |
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Women artisans creating the textiles in my studio in Ahmedabad
All the
textile products are made with
100% organic cotton sourced from GOTS certified manufacturers in India.
We are also using khadi woven by local cooperatives here in Gujarat. The dyeing process incorporates eco-friendly
principles; products are AZO-free and have not come into contact with any heavy
metal dyes.
Special attention was paid to the branding to try and develop tags that can be recycled. Below is an example of the poem that can be used by children to personalise and pin on their soft boards. |
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| The inspiration behind the collection was part of each product. |
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Since the past 4 months, we have been promoting the cause and the collection through various channels. Some examples are as follows:
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| Part of The Colours of Nature, symposium on natural dyes, Kolkata |
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| Chor Bazaar, Kolkata |
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| Pappadum, Chennai. Photo credit: Pappadum |
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| Jaypore - an online store retailing curated hand crafted products. Photo credit: Jaypore |
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| Green Fest, Juhu, Mumbai |
This is our endeavor at Whitewater - to create awareness that small actions can have a big impact on our environment, health and society. A change in the thinking process has to begin somewhere!
