Gandhigram Trust (GT) has plans to tap high-end natural dye textile market in the southern districts.
To begin with, it will make available its natural dye Khadi saris and other textile materials in its sales outlets in Madurai and Dindigul.
The main objective of making natural dye saris in modern designs was not only to expand market base and boost income of weavers, but also to familiarise Khadi products among the next generation,” said trust secretary R. Sivakumar. “Our natural dye Khadi products will be displayed in showrooms in Dindigul and Madurai,” he said.
Already, the trust had conducted a survey to study changing preferences and tastes of young women with regard to colours and designs of saris. To give a new look to Khadi textiles, the trust had roped in textile design experts and the Craft Council of India for production, marketing, support and training in weaving and designing.
Textile designs expert R. Jegatha from Hyderabad said research was on to manufacture natural dye Khadi chutidhar materials. All colours would blend easily with other colours in the natural dye yarn. But in chemical dyes, some colours would not match with some others. “We play little with colours and use only traditional design for border to give aesthetic look to saris,” she added.
Khadi Design and Regeneration Committee Coordinator Sudha Ravi said Khadi natural dye textile products were received well at the Natural Dye Bazaar organised in association with Cooptex in Chennai recently.
