"This is Tarum tree, a tree that produces blue," said Made as we wander in the CV court Tarum, a small company in Ketewel, Gianyar. I'm with I Made Yasa Arsana, the founder of this company, to get a deeper knowledge on organic fabric dyeing process.
"In red we use Secang tree. People in Java using wood and leave unused chips. Rather than just throw it, we process to get the red color."
In when he succeeded in developing more than 500 colors of natural dyes from many different plants and several different parts of the trees. The brown color, for example, can be derived from the leaves of the trees Mahoni, and leaves of Ketapang are perfect for the production of black and gray, while yellow can also be produced from this type of tree and mangoes sheets.
Made is one of the few people who are aware of the negative effects that fashion has on the environment.
His call to ecological dyeing processes found came when he did work for a Japanese clothing company in Seminyak. Working as a production director, he witnessed the negligent dyeing process made by the company for which he worked - and most clothes in Bali -. Who have no respect for the environment and people
After years of saving money and doing extensive research, Made in 1998 was finally confident enough to introduce the industry and assert its role in the preservation of the environment of the island. It was hard to keep his idealistic spirit, but fortunately Made has the support of scientists and experts from Udayana University to develop good dye composition. Not only that, it also designs a water waste management system that does not harm the balance of the surrounding ecosystem, using organic waste (leaves and branches remains) as fertilizer.
What Made witnessed is just one of the ugly facts behind the beauty of fashion. The creation of UN-synthetic biodegradable fabric made from oil that pollute soil and the ocean, dangerous use of pesticides, the coloring process using harmful chemicals, and the employment of children in certain countries developing, mode is considered as one of the culprits of global warming and many other issues, and eco-fashion might be the right way to respond to these problems.
Maya falls for fabrics made from bamboo fibers. With its brand Nurkamaya, Maya creates chic, casual collections of t-shirts, dresses, scarves, and many others; they are all in black and white shades. His everyday wear collections can be found at Little Tree, Kuta.
Most of the clothes we wear are made of cotton, but this type of fabric is considered to have a large carbon footprint that can affect the planet. The cotton tree needs huge amounts of water for irrigation, which is sometimes rare in areas where trees are growing, and the amount of water is thought better used to grow the foods diet the fashion industry.
"Cotton farmers often use large amounts of pesticides, which can harm the environment and health and other workers in a long time," said Maya. "Bamboo in a way, is the opposite. It grows naturally faster and easier to be operated, so do not cause deforestation."
While some people are still debating whether the fibers bamboo should be considered as environmentally friendly because of the chemical it uses to break the hard bamboo cellulose - even during the tree's life cycle to absorb the greenhouse effect. Molloy chooses Modal fabric made from beech tree fibers for his goddess on the Go collection, which can be found in his shop in Ubud.
"Modal uses only about 60% of the dye amount it would take to dye cotton. So it actually takes less chemicals to dye Modal" says Molloy.
Molloy also think the fabric has fantastic features that make it able to create the perfect clothes for sports and traveling activities.
"It is light, soft and comfortable It does not require much space when put in your luggage, it is long lasting and low maintenance requirements. - Dries quickly and you do even having to go! Very practical, "says Molloy, who also plays with cuttings and styles to create cute, attractive design that boast fantastic colors.
For some practitioners, eco-fashion goes beyond the simple use of natural materials or practicing a process of creating environmentally friendly. It is the ethical philosophy in the heart of their activity that leads to success.
For Maya, which manages two brands - 100% Love and Nurkamaya - ethical fashion is more than skin deep. She wants to ensure that his company is 100% green.
"I am very concerned to establish trade in ethical fashion. Vendors and tailors I work with should not employ children and they must practice fair trade, "she said.
While for Made, philosophy is applied in all aspects of its business . by selecting trees to be used for natural dyes, he made sure to choose trees that have no benefit to the life of the surrounding area. it avoids the use of trees that farmers still use to feed their animals, or even the flowers that are mainly used by the Balinese for ceremonies.
"This eco business is like a little therapy to cure the most general sickness of the world. - Global warming Using natural dyes, we can plant more trees and to practice natural means of life. in fact, it is a kind of lifestyle that is becoming more popular in high-end environment as they want to live as in the past, so why not? "