The name itself is a dead giveaway for a brand that serenades cotton. That name is Paruthi (meaning cotton in Tamil), the newest fashion label that is creating quite a stir in Chennai’s fashion circles. And more so, as glamour meets eco-friendly. For, the Paruthi label boasts clothing made only from organic cotton.
Fine quality, remarkable designs, textures and durability are the redeeming features of the label, which has its moorings in Auroville in Puducherry. Paruthi is, in fact, another feather in the cap of Uma Haimavati, founder of the Upasana design studio. The new fashion line did not happen overnight, being born instead out of a five-year research and thanks to a rehabilitation project called Kapas. Sharing her views on the new venture, Uma says, “We were always on the lookout to reach out to people through some means. In a recent finding, it was noted that nearly 2,00,000 cotton farmers had committed suicide. With the project, Kapas, we aimed at rehabilitating cotton farmers in Tamil Nadu, encouraging and training them in organic farming practices. Our aim was to become eco-friendly, and Paruthi was but a social response. It has already transformed the lives of cotton farmers. Now, close to 400 cotton farming families from 27 villages are a part of this project and make their living through Paruthi.”
With a tagline that goes, ‘what you wear, make it cool and real’, Paruthi already has an impressive range of clothing. From kids wear, Pappadum, to fashionable cuts for youngsters and also home products and accessories, the brand, which was started in December 2011, revives traditional textile techniques. “As a fashion designer myself, I believe in going to farmers’ homes and sharing knowledge about this organic product. They are skilled in nature of the fabric and happy to leave the designing to me. It is not only the cotton, but even our dyes are organic. For me, Paruthi is comfortable clothing, fashionable to boot and one that has been brought out through a non-polluting process.”
A contemporary cut, highlighting Indo-Western styles, Paruthi showcases a wide range of ready-to-wear garments. “We go with 3Cs — cut, comfort and contemporary. A team of designers work with me to produce this cool wear,” says Uma.
Like practically every other high-end designer, Uma’s Paruthi is currently colour-blocking. Says the designer, “Five main colours of the year have been introduced. Though we stay away from tacky tones, we work on various themes along the lines of indigo, magenta, yellow, natural and orange.” Besides, the all-cotton fabrics are presented in an elegantly panelled silhouette and of course, the muted, neutral tones that form a bigger part of the collection, adds Uma.
What’s next? Well, the plain subtle clothing might mutate into the printed variety. “We are working on having the great poet Kabir’s calligraphy on Paruthi clothes. So far, it has been only plain clothes, mix and matched with various pieces of garments. We have now decided to give a new twist to the collection. We will be incorporating various traditional textiles on Paruthi, and experimentation on textures will be done,” says the talented fashion designer.
Paruthi, maintains Uma, is not going international. “This is a domestic brand and we want to focus only on India now. In not going international, lies our USP. Paruthi is strictly for the local market and yes, it’s also a mission to spread awareness on the usage of organic cotton,” sums up the brain behind the Paruthi label.