The Pollachi-based brand Ethicus stands for ‘Ethics and Us.’ While talking about her debut at the Lakme Fashion Week, creative head Vijayalakshmi Nachiar says, “We got a platform to talk entirely about what we were doing with organic and sustainable fashion. Our line comprised of 14 garments dominated by saris. Adding on, we have introduced a few gowns for the first time.” With a clientele that includes the likes of politician Supriya Sule to actors like Kirron Kher, Ethicus has done shows across India — Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi. Their latest collection Matchmaker was launched at Chamiers in Chennai last week. The designer has already launched her premium cotton collection ‘Mumbai Meri Jaan’, while also presenting her limited edition collection ‘Ajrakh’ in the city earlier this year.
Farm to fashion
Everything from the fabric to colour palette is inspired from their farm. For instance, the blues were taken from the Kabini River that flows by, greens from the surrounding forest cover, greys from elephants, yellows from the tigers, red from their main crop ragi and black from the soil in which cotton grows. This forms the entire backdrop of the colour scheme. The design story behind the checks and block patterns in the garments is influenced by farms that are usually divided into squares and rectangles for cultivation of different crops and seasons. You can notice these patterns in the body, blouse, pallu or the border of the saris. The silhouettes are mostly in the form of saris and a few garments can either be worn as dresses separately, as kurtas or teamed up with palazzos. “Lighter weaves were used for the saris, to give a finer and softer texture on the skin, while thicker weaves were used for the garments. “We wanted the saris to be light and easily maintainable without having to starch, and be draped like crepe or georgette,” says the 47-year-old.
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Eco-friendly background
Vijayalakshmi Nachiar, who holds a Masters in Textiles and Clothing from SNDT University, Mumbai, along with her husband Mani Chinnaswamy, runs this nine-year-old brand under the parent branch Appachi Eco-Logic Cotton established in 1946. They own a loom studio in Pollachi and farm in eco-sensitive areas of Kabini, Mysore, employing 450 farmers and 60 weavers. “Apart from organic, we are also working with fabrics and fibres that could be recycled and upcycled,” informs the designer. She adds that they were one of the major exporters of cotton to Japan. They are currently working on a capsule collection ‘Made by Hand’ by artisans from Kutch and Lucknow. “Expect a summer collection shortly bringing in different works like ajrakh, benarasi, chikan and kalamkari,” adds Nachiar. `8,000 onwards. Details: ethicus.in
