A S the world become* /\ increasingly envlron-7 W menially conscious no-ihing could be more fashionable than the wide-range of environment-friendly products sweeping the global ma rkets. Natural fibre garments, especially, have become extremely popular among developed countries. This spells good news for countries of the south in terms of increasing exports of such prod ties.

The rising demand for environmentally friendly clothe-s has resulted in the revival of the age old tradition of making dyes from plants and vegetables. Indian experts have been experimenting with forgotten techniques lost over time managing to get only a few of the colours though not as vivid, that existed in earlier times. In Bangladesh, this process of revival began in 1981 when a preliminary study of the dyeproducing plants of the country showed that natural dyes had a good commercial potential. This prompted the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation to sponsor the Vegetable Dye Project in 1987. One of the prime actors in making this research project a success was Ruby Guznavi. a dynamic businesswoman, largely responsible for reviving natural dye in this country and turning it into a commercial success. At present Guznavi is the managing director and creator of Aranya. the first commercial production and marketing organization of natural dye fabrics and products in Bangladesh.

Aranya. as its name implies. draws all its resources from nature, experimenting with indigenous raw materials such as leaves, petals, sawdust etc to make a wide variety of dyes that are colour fast. So far Aranya has come up with thirty dyes that are non-pollutant and non-car-clnogenic thus ensuring higher environmental standards than chemical dyes.

The colours derived from natural dyes are subtle and

unique including shades of the palest pink (literally onion colour), deep indigos, light beiges and warm saf-frpiiv. The clothes them-sehes are simple, comfortable and traditional yet very contemporary, making them attractive to fashion conscious customers. Designs

are also taken from pitta (rice cake) patterns and the intricate works on the tiles of old mosques.

With the Intention of bringing back lost traditions from the past. Aranya has enabled crafts people to recreate the exquisite patterns in their weaves and embroideries by using Jamdani and Nakshi Kantha designs from private and museum collections. The organization also works with terra-cotta and silver developing products

that blend in with modern lifestyles of both the East and West.

Adhering to high standards of quality. Aranya has attained a permanent niche In the global market exporting natural dye garments to the UK. France and Japan, where these clothes are sold

tas and sarees. Prices are quite high, though not higher than most boutiques in the city.

In spite of high labour cost (since the dying, blockprinting. etc. is done manually) producing natural dye fabrics makes good business sense, says Guznavi. because

able.

"The greatest advantage of natural dye is that nothing clashes and the color combinations are always tastefull; with chemical dyes you have to be very careful" says Guznavi. Unfortunately, some enterprises, she adds, take a short cut by mixing chemical dyes with natural dyes and then passing them off as all

are applied depending on the type of raw material. A lot of sunlight is also required to dry the dyed fabrics and ensure long lasting color.

It is therefore quite difficult to dye on a large scale and most dying units are small and compact like Aran-yas. Even so, says Guznavi. It is still profitable to have such Small units spread all over the country. "If there are many small organizations producing natural dyes Bangladesh will be able to earn a lot of foreign exchange, given the high demand for such products."

The positive world-response to natural dyed fabrics. she explains, indicates that Bangladesh should concentrate in developing a lot of garments-people producing such products. "We should find the technical means of such large scale produc-

tion; machines could be used for the dying process, for example," says Guznavi.

Government support is also important. There is. points out Guznavi. a special weavers’ service centre in every state of India, that supports weavers in every possible way including helping them to produce and develop natural dyes. Bangladesh could have similar centres to promote such a valuable tradition.

One of the most interesting side effects of developing natural dyes as Aranya has proved, is that it has helped revive the traditional skills of Indigenous people all over Bangladesh. Different types of dyes are made by different tribes. In Jamalpur. for example. the Koch tribe specialize in telangchole. a yellow dye made from a tree

root. The Garo tribe of My mensingh make a black dye from the ziga fruit, a process that includes burying the dyed yarn in clay soil for 24 hours to get the black colour.

Similarly, the Khasia tribe of Srimangal. make a red dye called ranger gach from a root, the Mogh tribe of Mah-eshkhali make pink from the Goran tree bark, and the Murong tribe of Bandarban make a blue-black dye from the Serum tree leaves.

For Guznavi. managing a successful business in natural dye products is not enough. She wants others to develop these techniques and form their own dying units, thus spreading this unique craft all over the country. Reviving vegetable dyes is not Just recreating a forgotten tradition. but a profitable one as well.

in exclusive boutiques. Items include silk, half-silk and cotton block-printed kimonos. salwar kameez. shirts, waist coats and trousers with a wide range of embroidered products such as kantha bedspreads, cushion covers etc.

While exports constitute the bulk of Aranya s sales, a small quantity of clothes are sold locally in its Dhanniondi outlet. Here the garments mainly consist of 'tie and dye' and block-printed salwar kameez sets, dupattas. kur-

:he cost ot raw malerials is very cheap. The raw materials are all around us”, she explains. " with 25 |>er cent from waste material such as petals of Krishna Chura or onion peels." There are. therefore, several lakhs of dollars saved by making natural dye products, compared to their chemical dye counterparts. Moreover, natural dyes, unlike chemical dyes do not run. and produce colours that are subdued, understated yet very fashion-

natural dye Apart irom being unethical, such adulteration takes away the special benefits of natural dye products.

One of the disadvantages of producing natural dyes is the time and patience required In the dyeing process. The fabric has to be first washed and bleached thoroughly after which the raw materials (petals, leaves etc) are boiled to get the dye solution. To ensure colour fastness. special mordants are used, and other techniques are applied depending on the type of raw material. A lot of sunlight is also required to dry the dyed fabrics and ensure long lasting color.

It is therefore quite difficult to dye on a large scale and most dying units are small and compact like Aran-yas. Even so, says Guznavi. It is still profitable to have such Small units spread all over the country. "If there are many small organizations producing natural dyes Bangladesh will be able to earn a lot of foreign exchange, given the high demand for such products."

The positive world-response to natural dyed fabrics. she explains, indicates that Bangladesh should concentrate in developing a lot of garments-people producing such products. "We should find the technical means of such large scale produc-

tion; machines could be used for the dying process, for example," says Guznavi.

Government support is also important. There is. points out Guznavi. a special weavers’ service centre in every state of India, that supports weavers in every possible way including helping them to produce and develop natural dyes. Bangladesh could have similar centres to promote such a valuable tradition.

One of the most interesting side effects of developing natural dyes as Aranya has proved, is that it has helped revive the traditional skills of Indigenous people all over Bangladesh. Different types of dyes are made by different tribes. In Jamalpur. for example. the Koch tribe specialize in telangchole. a yellow dye made from a tree

root. The Garo tribe of My mensingh make a black dye from the ziga fruit, a process that includes burying the dyed yarn in clay soil for 24 hours to get the black colour.

Similarly, the Khasia tribe of Srimangal. make a red dye called ranger gach from a root, the Mogh tribe of Mah-eshkhali make pink from the Goran tree bark, and the Murong tribe of Bandarban make a blue-black dye from the Serum tree leaves.

For Guznavi. managing a successful business in natural dye products is not enough. She wants others to develop these techniques and form their own dying units, thus spreading this unique craft all over the country. Reviving vegetable dyes is not Just recreating a forgotten tradition. but a profitable one as well.