Apparel April 2019 Apparel April 2019 issue | Page 78

DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT
INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION HAS LED
TO STANDARDISATION THAT HAS
MADE US FORGET THE BEAUTY OF
NATURAL COLOURS.
designer to create garments with a minimal
carbon footprint and to give consumers a
limited choice of garments, yet one that met
their requirements so that they would pause to
understand the textile, actually engage with it and
enjoy it.
INDIGO BLUES
This chain of thought led him to focus on
predominantly working only with natural indigo
dye as it is extracted from a plant, has been
traditionally produced in India and yields a
spectrum of tones from very light sky blue to
deep dark blue. “I did not wish to create a
brand that has a huge palette of colours, but
one that offers just one colour. Globalisation is
all-pervading. We need to preserve our traditions.
I selected indigo to work with as it leads us to
restrict choice, yet it leads us to notice subtleties
of that colour, the depth of the colour, and
ask about the techniques used for obtaining
the colour and producing the fabric. Industrial
production has led to standardisation that has
made us forget the beauty of natural colours.”
Santanu explains that indigo has only one
natural source, that is, from a plant. “The dye
is extracted through a complex chemical
process which is unpredictable in the sense
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April 2019
that one does not know the exact tone of
blue that will be obtained, making it a process
filled with mystery and magic. It challenges the
designer as one does not have control over the
end result. Working with indigo leaves a zero
carbon footprint.”
As the yarn is dyed in indigo in small batches,
each batch may have a different colour tone.
The happy result of this inherent nature of indigo
is that it gives Santanu fabrics of a hundred
hues, and thus saris and yardage (for stitched
garments) of a spectrum of shades. Maku saris
may have only indigo dye, yet, the play of lines of
different tones of indigo, harmoniously contrasting
tones of indigo in the field, border and pallav, give
them character and beauty. Similarly, stitched
garments with fabrics of different shades in
different sections of the garment, in the inner and
outer layers or for pockets, make for a statement
in simplicity and class.
ENGAGING WITH CLOTH
Given his philosophy of engaging with fabric,
Santanu wants customers to feel, touch and
experience fabric. “At Maku, we try to slowly
make the client sensitive to better quality. Our
garments are clear like water and this helps
you experience them. Even if you are spending