Brinda ❂ Organic Cotton Saree ❂ 2

Ethicus is a Farm to Fashion initiative of the husband & wife duo of Mani Chinnaswamy & Vijayalakshmi Nachiar. Established in 2009, it was launched with the aim to revive the rich local hand weaving traditions of the area through Product Development & Design Intervention.

At the Ethicus Studio, each product is a handcrafted masterpiece, beautifully designed with intricate textures using a wide range of eco friendly colours. Ethicus, works towards creating a product of the highest quality using the finest of Ecologic Organic yarns & the best of Artisans to create world class textiles for today. A team of in-house designers ensure that a minimum of 2 collections are made every year, one for the summer ; the other for winter. The designs are an amalgamation of contemporary and traditional. The weavers are equally involved in the design process to help ideate various techniques of weaving, bridging the relationship between the designer and the weavers. Every design follows a theme & tells a story!

The entire design process is documented and a serious effort is on to archive the designs & the samples developed. In line with the philosophy of ‘Inclusive growth’, all Ethicus products carry tags with the picture of the weaveron it. It also states his name & the number of days it took him /her to weave the product.Other tags inform the customers about the ‘Ecologic project’ & ecognize the effort of the cotton farmers. A tag also indicates the design story & the names of the designers or student interns who have worked on the project. Today, Ethicus weavers have gained a social status where they are no longer considered as paid labours but ‘’ARTISANS”.

Through the “Weaver Engagement Agreement”, the weaver is encouraged to raise a bill for his service given to the company. With this bill, he/her is entitled to be provided with all materials required to comfortably weave a finished handwoven product. Lifting their standards of living and giving them more moral and financial support this step shows them a brighter side of their craftsmanship. Today, they are more eager to continue with their craft rather than deviating into other professions. With this they are able to live up to a status in their profession and yet be rooted to their skills that have been passed on for generations by their forefathers.

As part of its CSR activity, Ethicus offers free education to children of their weavers and support staff, ensuring quality education & a better life for the future. Ethicus products are available through exhibitions in India & abroad, online & in many stores across the country.This is truly a ‘made in India brand’ & has its ethos firmly based in creating the best of Indian textiles & reviving the pride in the traditional textile heritage of India. Appachi Eco-Logic Cotton (P) Ltd. Is the company behind the brand ‘Ethicus’. Established in 1946, the company has pioneered India’s first Cotton Contract farming model & grows the finest Organic Cotton in the Country. The company works with more than 800 farmers in the eco-sensitive areas of Kabini near Mysore in Karnataka.

‘The Appachi Ecologic Project’ is bringing together farmers, encouraging them to grow traditional varieties of Cotton & helping them to convert from Genetically Modified Cotton to environment friendly Eco-logic cotton,thereby eliminating the use and effects of harmful pesticides & insecticides & helping to reverse the damage done to the environment, flora & fauna of the region. The project also educates farmers in traditional & scientific methods of growing sustainable & high quality cotton consistently.This backward integration initiative helps in ethical sourcing of high quality cotton satisfying the requirement  of quality discerning clients. It also brings a high degree of Transparency & Tracability right upto the farmer who produced it. Appachi Eco-logic Cotton (Pvt.) ltd. Is a Sustainable Social Enterprise. It has brought about a Social, Environmental & Economic Impact through its initiatives.