Apparel November 2019 Apparel November 2019 issue | Página 66

DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT
EXPLORING ERI
Ethical textile and fashion designer Jyoti Reddy is dedicated to bringing forth the beauty of eri
silk in modern times. Brinda Gill takes a deep dive into her work.
“Eri silk has the softness of cotton, texture of linen, sheen of silk,
and warmth of wool. It is durable and unmatched with regard to
comfort. Most importantly, eri silk is inherently isothermal, so it
keeps you cool in summer and warm in winter. It is nature’s most
sustainable natural fibre—a true natural gift,” says Jyoti Reddy,
founder, Ereena, a brand established in 2013 with the aim of
introducing the finest eri silks to the world. Ereena specialises in
garments made from exquisite 100 per cent eri silk, apart from
working with a number of blended eri textiles.
Elaborating on the attributes of eri silk, Jyoti says, “The eri
silkworm has a unique ability to weave an open-ended cocoon,
mature, complete its lifecycle, and fly away, making the resulting silk
naturally nonviolent and humane. This worm feeds on the castor
plant, which is drought-resistant and thus, leaves a low carbon
footprint.” Staying true to the silk’s virtues, Jyoti named the brand
‘Ereena’, which also means beautiful/peace in Greek.
Eri silk is produced from the eri yarn, which is obtained by
processing cocoons of the silkworm Samia ricini, which is
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I APPAREL I
November 2019