Shades of Blue: Chidiyaa’s love affair with Indigo
The most beautiful things are often found in the dainty contrivance which reconnects us to nature. The radiant avant-garde shade of Indigo proves itself to be one of the exquisite fabrics to breathe elegance in your style. Indigo is simply majestic and feels home when drape on the body. It has the smell of earth with magical perfection because of its holistic blue color, a poised ineffable color that has ruled the world since centuries. The traces of Indigo found its roots in India before 6000 years, though it was also found in some regions of Africa, Indonesia, China and Japan, where they were considered as a luxury product.
This subtle tranquil shade of blue has been significant to different cultures around the world! The artistic allure of indigo has attracted designers internationally and nationally for years. A print which is found out of indulging prints and patterns in ancient tribal India. Indigo textiles are the pride of Indian art and heritage. A hue so connected to cosmos and mother earth making you travel the lanes of authentic Indian culture in its pure beauty.
Back in the past, India traded this plant-based indigo dyed fabric also referred as “Blue-Gold” to Europe where it has its own popularity and demand. However, in the mid 1800’s synthetic indigo found its way through the market which made the plant-based indigo almost lost its importance. Though, today in the world of sustainable fashion the natural indigo has been revived again by the Indian artisans and designers making the historical tradition breathing once again through the weaves of Indigo fabric.
The process of creating indigo block-print starts with soaking the indigo plant bundles to extract the vibrant beauty of blue dye. Simultaneously, long cotton
sheets are laid out to absorb the color. After the sheets get fully dry, hand carved wooden blocks are used for applying a wax resist all over the cotton fabric. Once the fabric is dyed, the areas with the wax application continue to remain white while the rest of fabric collide in the charm of indigo hues.
