Decades of developing strong genetics in organic, naturally coloured cotton has allowed her to now grow plants whole—longer, stronger and greener. The fiber born into bolls is fluffy yet sturdy enough to be picked by machine. “In the US, we have a love for cotton-picking machines, as hand-picking cotton is associated with a terrible history of slavery and other exploitation,” she adds.

Edited excerpts from the interview. 

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The pandemic has turned focus towards environmental reform, and the importance of sustainably-produced fibers. Do you feel your work has finally found redemption?   
Not yet, by any means. Although there are some very important projects all over the world now, the longest of these is in Peru, attempting to save their archaeological treasure of natural colour cottons grown traditionally. 

My goal has been to introduce and establish the use of naturally coloured and organically grown cottons for the large-scale cotton industry, whose ecological report card has been a source of intense efforts technologically for much of the last half century.

In the US, Europe and parts of Asia, efforts to clean up dye waste have made advancements since I entered the scene. Cleaning up dye waste is costly. Back then it would take $1/lb to dye cotton (and 100 gallons of water per pound of yarn/fabric) but $2/lb to clean the dye waste up. The mills cleaning up the waste weren’t able to compete with those who did not clean up and changes in tariffs and trading rules sealed the bad deal. In the mid 1990s, every single one of the nearly 40 spinning mills that I had established as customers, went out of business. Their crime was that they had installed the multi-million dollar equipment required to release waste water that was of drinking quality.

The industry shifted into the horrific state we suffer till today. Large segments of the world are polluted with these dyestuffs, while other areas have clean waterways. And nobody cared about cotton that originally grew in colour and didn’t need to be dyed.

But now, those countries that have suffered from these pollutants seem to finally have protections in place. The technology of dyeing textiles has also improved dramatically, using less water and energy while releasing fewer toxins. 

Is there a need for machine spinnable cotton that grows in colour that is naturally pest and disease resistant? 
I think so, but the thing is that the relationship between the breeder (me), the growers, the spinner and the knitters and weavers must all be transformed to that of respect and what we used to refer to as having in place a ‘strategic alliance’. An older kind of capitalism is needed where people value what the others contribute to the entire system. If I had a wish it would be that some foundation would support my work in developing seed lines that could be freely given out to breeding programmes. This is cotton whose colour will not wash out and whose fiber improvement (length, strength and fineness) is already what’s required for machine processing. 

At the moment, I helm the research, funded only by the sales on my website (www.vreseis.com) and that of the cottons that I contract with the oldest organic farmers here in the US to sell to just one mill in Japan. This has been a tough thing to pull off, as my margins are slim and the costs of research high. I am glad to see that the idea is catching on. But there is a long way to go.

Do you have a favourite colour?  
I do not have a favourite, but I do get really excited for the progress that I have helped each colour family of cotton achieve. Each has had a different set of issues. I am a fan of trying to encourage the plant to produce the maximum colour intensity, not the 
highest yield because I consider the colour within the cotton to be the treasure. And to me, fiber quality is more important than yield.

Coloured desi cotton dates back to Indus Valley

Brown cotton blossoms. Pic courtesy/Udaanta

Naturally-coloured cotton has a history of more than 5,000 years in India, Egypt and South America, according to a report by Dr KR Kranthi of Central Institute of Cotton Research (CISR). In Asia, (desi) coloured stocks of cotton were cultivated by the Aryans of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa back in 3,000 BC in the Indo-Pak region. During World War II, there was a shortage of dyes, so green and brown cotton were grown and used. “Because the fibres were not bred for length, after the war, naturally coloured cotton fell out of favour again,” says Ravi Kiran. In the 1990s, brown cotton was part of research in India, and introduced to a few farmer fields in early 2000. “This was the same time Monsanto [The Monsanto Company, an American agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation] arrived in India, and any research in cotton became fully focused on white cotton.”

Know Your Brown Cotton

Tapioca starched yarn drying in the sun. Pic courtesy/Udaanta

What is its attraction—environmental factor or versatality? 
It is its story that makes you want to purchase a metre of Kandu (brown cotton). Just drape a metre on yourself, and you will have the answer regarding how versatile it can be.  

Is it a good blend?
As the yarn is spun on the ambar charkha, it has a very low twist. Once the fabric is washed, the twist in the yarn opens further which results in the suppleness of the fabric. Short staple length brown cotton is spun in low-twist, because of which, tapioca starch is applied to strengthen the yarn during the weaving process. After a few washes and wears, the starch disappears from the textile, making it soft.

Will the colour run?
Natural colour in cotton is formed from the water-soluble tannins found on the surface and inside the lumen of fibres. When the fabric is washed, the molecules re-orient and the tannins are released along with the surface wax. This prevents the fiber from absorbing water. This is the reason why, unlike chemically dyed fabric, the intensity of the naturally brown colour textile increases over the first 10 washes, after which it stabilises. Depending on the local environmental conditions, the shade of brown varies from one season to the next.
  
How can I care for it? 
Like any other handmade product, naturally grown brown cotton also needs care. As cotton is strong when wet, hand-wash the fabric separately or with similar coloured clothes in cold water with mild or eco detergents and dry under shade. 

Courtesy: Kandu

Have you heard of brown cotton?

The answer was a no when we called a battery of designers. But, they are curious to find out

Saviojon Fernandes: It sounds fascinating for ecological reasons, although, I feel its natural colour could be limiting for a designer. I started my career with cotton but it was long after I introduced silks that I could truly establish my brand. A multi-designer store in Mumbai only sells my silk pieces because that’s what its customers demand. Cotton is India’s oldest fabric and we are also the largest exporters of this important cash crop, yet more attention needs to be paid to it locally. India shares a strange relationship with cotton. For cotton to be taken seriously, we will have to first rewire our heads about what luxury means; it’s not always about shiny brocade, but how a fabric feels against your skin.

Anjali Patel Mehta of Studio Verandah: I used to work with woven cambric cotton, but I don’t work with cotton anymore. My problem? The circular or closed-loop system of cotton isn’t always clear. And I’m not the only one who is confused. It’s also the customer. They can have a huge influence only if they had more information about what they are buying; it would help their purchasing choices. I feel the time is ripe for a movement, and to investigate indigenous fibers like brown cotton to create cool and premium designs. 

Anavila Misra: When I chose to work with linen, I wanted to create a distinct product line of modern, desirable sarees. And that did it for my younger clientele. The design narrative around Khadi too has been limited to a certain design aesthetic. It’s also pulled out only around special occasions. Using new silhouettes and techniques in my upcoming collection, I hope to lift Khadi to another level. At a time when environmental problems with cotton continue to compound, the naturally brown variant is a timely concept. I don’t think its biological colour is restricting. It allows so many possibilities just like natural linen does.