ABOUT US:

Binjal is a Fashion & Textile designer and supplier and manufacturer of ladies kurti’s  for different brands where we created our own designs and we use to sell our designs to different brands,we were tired to convince the buyers for quality products but every where the need was of fast fashion with quality as it was not everyone’s priority,we created our own prints with inhouse textile designers,but the market demand was cheap and best,how can both go hand in hand,either buy cheap or buy best we always negotiated for and creating something that’s not best was beyond our likings,as our vision was very clear to deliver a garment which is always suitable for the end user and not the brand buyers.This mental process and vision always helped us and motivated to create something best but not compromise on the products we deliver in any manner.We took a pause from the existing business and starting searching what’s ultimate in the industry that we can provide and then we decided to introduce our own brand and go more beyond the limits and deliver the true essence of clothing.

BINJAL  is born out of need to provide steady opportunities to India’s skilled artisans,from the heart of Indian villages into contemporary,sustainable fashion for the globetrotting women.

As we know nature is unlimited and is beautiful and so are it’s resources,natures breathes and so does Binjal-Fabric that breathes and so it’s clothing.

Committed to revive,sustained empower the Indian crafts and textiles,a sustainable and eco-conscious luxury for all peoeple on beautiful planet earth.Beign vegetarian and an animal lover,BINJAL  lives her personal philosophy through conscious effort as a fashion designer,introducing cruelty free fashion with a conscience.

Any women wherever in the world she may be-who loves,lives and breathes the vibrancy of Indian arts and influences will find a little bit of herself in BINJAL.The collection is predominantely India-inspired and dwelves deep into heritage of colours,textures and prints to combine them to create international appeal with Indian vibes.For someone who sees life  as a wonderful adventure.

Embracing change redefining fashion,setting trends and making a difference.We believe in fashion with a conscience and are proud of being a vegan fashion brand.We strive to be eco friendly in all our aspects of our business.Reducing the carbon footprint is a business agenda of ours and we try our best to minimise the damage caused to the environment through eco friendly business practices.

Consumers are no longer craving for clothes that are just good-looking;rather they are demanding brands whose values they can identify with,such as transparency,ethics and sustainability.The market for sustainable fashion is not niche’rather it is strong and flourishing.

We use exquisite,original prints that showcase traditional textile techniques such as woodblock printing,traditional embroidery,textured handloom and exquisite tie and dye.

But nature is amazing thing and with a little chemistry you have a unlimited array of natural colours to choose from.There are many naturally occurring plants,minerals and crustaceans from which we get our clothing dyed.From soft pastels to strikingly rich natural tones.

Let’s celebrate this beautiful life internally as well externally with “Binjal-Fabric That Breathes

ABOUT KALA COTTON:

Archeological evidence of cotton samples found at the Mohenjo Daro site of Dholavira dated c.2750-3000 BCE indicate the source to be a plant closely related to Gossypium arboreum type, which was a dominant strain of native cotton in India. The history of cotton cultivation in India points to evidence of several domestic varieties of cotton. Kala cotton (Gossypium herbaceum) is an indigenous strain of rain-fed ‘old world’ cotton that was a part of India’s cotton export to Great Britain during colonial rule when the forcible cultivation of long-staple variety of cotton led to disruption in the value chain between domestic cotton farmers, weavers, natural dyers and markets till its production was almost obliterated, resulting in the meltdown of the homespun industry. Even after Independence, in spite of its sturdiness and pest resistance, it was tagged for perceived ‘inferior’ status as compared to the long-staple American and other hybrid varieties.

Kala means ‘black’ in some Indian languages, often leading to the misconception that Kala cotton is black in colour, whereas it actually refers to the empty boll after extraction of the cotton fibre. Kala cotton has specific characteristics. This indigenous strain of cotton is genetically pure, which differentiates from the genetically modified Bt cotton. Kala cotton is hardy and resilient even under harsh weather conditions. Completely rain-fed and growing naturally even in the arid, drought-prone areas 

where there is less than 40 cm of rainfall, its high drought tolerance imposes minimal or no demand on scarce water resources, which makes it extremely water efficient.

Irrigation requires electrical or diesel energy to lift and supply water; manufacturing and transporting chemical fertiliser requires energy and produces greenhouse gases after usage; the use of pesticides poisons the environment, soil and water. For the most part, Kala cotton is grown without the use of irrigation, chemical fertilisers and pesticides, which makes its ecological footprint much lower as compared to other varieties of cotton. This is the reason that Kala cotton is considered to be among the most energy-efficient and carbon neutral crops in the world; more so in the present conditions of water scarcity in India.The trepidation about global warming and possible desertification also raises the present-day relevance of Kala cotton.

Creation of an integrated supply chain between farmers, ginners, spinners and weavers to convert Kala cotton fibre into hand-woven textiles was reminiscent of India’s legacy of weaving khadi reinterpreted for the modern Indian market.

Kala Cotton Initiative as an example of a holistic approach to promote an indigenous species of cotton for textile production in tandem with the local ecology by facilitating linkages that provide sustainable livelihoods for marginalized  farmers, spinners, ginners and weavers. Farmers receive a premium price, and therefore, are encouraged to grow indigenous cotton. Market support and sectoral increase in the remuneration for weaving have also contributed to the increase in the number of weavers.

The cumulative result is that the value chain of Kala cotton that had deteriorated for decades, is exhibiting resurgence.

The short- to medium-staple length Kala cotton fibre measures between 20 and 22 mm. This makes it difficult to weave it even on traditional looms, which, by extension, is a tribute to the dexterity of the weavers. Kala cotton is usually available in plain weaves with or without woven stripes and motifs, and even in twill weave. Its coarse texture against the skin is a reminder of the tenacity with which it survives in the arid landscape. It lends itself well to natural dyes. In a world of anonymous fashion, this indigenous cotton has a distinctive aesthetic that characterizes the finished products from items of clothing to home and lifestyle products.

About Ikat:

Ikat (in Indonesian languages means “bind”) is a dyeing technique originated from Indonesia used to pattern textiles that employs resist dyeing on the yarns prior to dyeing and weaving the fabric.

In ikat, the resist is formed by binding individual yarns or bundles of yarns with a tight wrapping applied in the desired pattern. The yarns are then dyed. The bindings may then be altered to create a new pattern and the yarns dyed again with another colour. This process may be repeated multiple times to produce elaborate, multicolored patterns. When the dyeing is finished all the bindings are removed and the yarns are woven into cloth. In other resist-dyeing techniques such as tie-dye and batik the resist is applied to the woven cloth, whereas in ikat the resist is applied to the yarns before they are woven into cloth. Because the surface design is created in the yarns rather than on the finished cloth, in ikat both fabric faces are patterned.

A characteristic of ikat textiles is an apparent “blurriness” to the design. The blurriness is a result of the extreme difficulty the weaver has lining up the dyed yarns so that the pattern comes out perfectly in the finished cloth. The blurriness can be reduced by using finer yarns or by the skill of the craftsperson. Ikats with little blurriness, multiple colours and complicated patterns are more difficult to create and therefore often more expensive. However, the blurriness that is so characteristic of ikat is often prized by textile collectors.

Ikat also produced in many traditional textile centres around the world, including India to Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Japan (where it is called kasuri), Africa, and Latin America. Double ikats—in which both the warp and weft yarns are tied and dyed before being woven into a single textile—are relatively rare because of the intensive skilled labour required to produce them.

About Dabu:

THE CHHIPPA COMMUNITY of traditional printers of this region use the mud resist printing technique with vegetable dyes to create densely patterned and richlycoloured textiles 

Although all the motifs are derived from vegetable and floral forms,each bears a unique association with a specific community,thusserving as a means of identifying the wearer.The dabu process beginswith the collection and storage of mud from the local pond;prior to itsusage the mud is wet and sieved until it becomes a fine paste.It is thenmixed with lime,gum,either fenugreek or alum,and jaggery.The fabricto be printed is washed thoroughly to remove all starch and then dried; the entire yardage is treated with harda,the mordant,and thendried again.The resist printing is executed by applying a woodblock dipped in the dabu paste on the thus treated cloth,Thefabric is then dyed;depending on the design the fabric eitherundergoes a second round of resist printing or washing whichremoves the mud paste.The final dyeing stage imparts colour tothe previously resisted areas.

Dabu” a mud resist process by using wood block.The Process of Dabu Printing starts with the preparation of mud resist the clay is prepared by finely sieving it. Calcium hydroxide (Chuna in Hindi), naturally pounded wheat chaff (Beedan in hindi), and gum (gound in hindi) are the main interdients to make the mud resist. The dug out mud from the dry pond is soaked in water in a separate tank overnight. The mud resist is freshly prepared before every printing. A mixture of beedan and gound are along with mud are doughed to make a sticky paste.

Application of mud resist onto fabric TThe mixture is now ready for dabu printing. The mud resist being applied onto the fabrics using wood blocks. Either the dabu printing is done ona single table while sitting or on a running table. This depends upon the space availability and comfort an individual printer. To quickly dry the paste, saw dust is being applied to places where the mud resist is printed. The saw dust also acts as a binder which prevents color penetration while dyeing. The application of mud resist onto the fabric is followed by dyeing the fabric in a cauldron of dye. The process may be repeated for double dabu and triple dabu and hence forth. After every dyeing the fabric is thoroughly washed so as to remove the mud application. Finally the non dyed part where the resist has been applied is revealed after the washing. some of the color penetrates onto the fabric caused by mud cracking. The result is veining which gives it batik like look to the fabric.

About Kalamkari:

Kalamkari is an ancient style of hand painting done on cotton or silk fabric with a tamarind pen, using natural dyes. The word Kalamkari is derived from a Persian word where ‘kalam‘ means pen and ‘kari‘ refers to craftsmanship. This art involves 23 tedious steps of dyeing, bleaching, hand painting, block printing, starching, cleaning and more. Motifs drawn in Kalamkari spans from flowers, peacock, paisleys to divine characters of Hindu epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana.

he process of making Kalamkari involves 23 steps. From natural process of bleaching the fabric, softening it, sun drying, preparing natural dyes, hand painting, to the processes of air drying and washing, the entire procedure is a process which requires precision and an eye for detailing.

Cotton fabric used for Kalamkari is first treated with a solution of cow dung and bleach. After keeping the fabric in this solution for hours, the fabric gets a uniform off-white color. After this, the cotton fabric is immersed in a mixture of buffalo milk and Myrobalans. This avoids smudging of dyes in the fabric when it is painted with natural dyes. Later, the fabric is washed under running water to get rid of the odor of buffalo milk.  The fabric likewise, is washed twenty times and dried under the sun. Once the fabric is ready for painting, artists sketch motifs and designs on the fabric. Post this, the Kalamkari artists prepare dyes using natural sources to fill colors within the drawings.

Incorporating minute details, the Kalamkars use ‘tamarind twig’ as pen, to sketch beautiful motifs of Krishna Raas-Leela, Indian god and goddesses like Parvati, Vishnu, Shri Jaganath; designs of peacock, lotus; and scenes from the Hindu epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana.

Colors of Kalamkari

Kalamkari art primarily use earthy colors like indigo, mustard, rust, black and green. Natural dyes used to paint colors in Kalamkari art is extracted for natural sources with no use of chemicals and artificial  matter. For instance, craftsmen extract black color by blending jaggery, water and iron fillings which  they essentially use for outlining the sketches. While mustard or yellow is derived by boiling pomegranate peels, red hues are created from bark of madder or algirin. Likewise, blue is obtained from indigo and green is derived by mixing yellow and blue together.

Types of Kalamkari

There are two identifiable styles of Kalamkari art in India – Srikalahasti style and Machilipatnam style. In the Machilipatnam style of Kalamkari, motifs are essentially printed with hand-carved traditional blocks with intricate detailing painted by hands. On the other hand, Srikalahasti style of painting draws inspiration from the Hindu mythology describing scenes from the epics and folklore. This style holds a strong religious connect because of its origin in the temples.
In recent times, two other types of Kalamkari patterns have also emerged, based on the states where it is created. Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh are two prime states in India, where two different types of Kalamkari patterns are done. The Andhra Kalamkari borrows design inspiration from forts, palaces and temples of India, along with motifs of animals and birds. While the Gujarat Kalamkari depict motifs of mythological characters like Krishna-Arjuna from Mahabharata, lord Krishna, lord Ganesha, lord Buddha etc.

About Heritage print:

 The village has been a major centre for very fine block-cutting and printing units accommodating more than 5000 block printers. The water of the river Saraswati flowing from Sanganer is considered to be having special quality that brings out the radiance from the natural dyed fabric. The village of Sanganer is also famous for its handmade paper industry and Jain temples. The prints of Sanganer have their own distinctive style and patterns. They are known for bright colors, delicate lines which are usually printed against a white background. The craft flourished under the royal patronage, and by the end of the 18th century this industry was fully developed in Sanganer.

The craft of printed textile is prevalent since olden days. In India it is believed to be dating back to 12th century. Since then the craft has been flourishing due to the royal patronages.  Selected for its abundance of soft water and clay suitable for the process of sun bleaching fabrics, Sanganer was developed into a major printing centre under the patronage of the Jaipur royal family.  The earliest mentioned centers for block printings were located in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. During the regime of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh in 18th century the craft started building its roots in Sanganer. The place was suitable for the craft as it had a river flowing through it which helped the artisans with constant water source for washing and dyeing the products. Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh invited printers from Andhra and Gujarat to settle in this newly developed block printing village.

Making Process

The process of printing can be divided into following major parts:-
• Washing
• Marking
• Printing
• Drying
• Washing

Washing:
The fabric brought from the market contains starch, dust etc. Therefore it goes through a preprinting treatment in order to get good results while printing. The fabric is therefore dipped in a solution of water and bleach for 1-2 days. It is then boiled and washed with water. Finally the cloth is stretched and spread on ground and left for drying. This process known as Hari Sarana takes 3-5 days depending on the weather conditions.

Marking:
The cloth to be printed is spread on the printing table and fixed with the help of pins. With help of scale and chalk areas to be printed are marked and proper gaps are left for cutting and stitching.

Printing:
Printer dips the block in the color and stamps the design on the cloth. The blocks are then pressed hard with the fist on the back of the handle so that registration/imprint of the color is even. Printing starts from left to right. Number of colors used in the design defines the number of blocks to be used. Generally one printer handles one color and application is done simultaneously. In the case of sarees the pallu is printed first and then the border. First the outline color is applied and then the filling colors. Specific point in the block guides the printer for the repeat impression. The process of printing is called as Chapaai.

Drying:
After the printing is completed the fabric is dried out in sun for the colors to get fixed. This is done specially for the pigment dyes. The printed fabrics are handled with utmost care so that the colors are not transferred to other areas. Therefore they are wrapped in plastic or newspaper after dying. The process is called as Sukhaai.

Washing:
Fabric then goes through the process of steaming in the special boilers constructed for this purpose. After steaming, the material is washed thoroughly in large quantities of water and dried in the sun. Once the fabric is washed and dried ironing is done, which further fixes the color permanently. This final process of washing is called Dhulaai.

ABOUT KHADI:

Khadi fabric, also known as khaddar, is a hand woven natural fibre made with cotton. The other variations of Khadi fabric include silk and wool. Khadi fabric originated during the time of Mahatma Gandhi when he led the Swadeshi Movement. This fabric has a rugged texture and feels comfortable when worn during winter season while also keeping one fresh in summers.

The first Khadi fabric was crafted when the Boycott movement commenced in India. As the ‘Swadeshi Movement’ began, foreign goods were shunned. This movement was highly publicised, leading to an alternative to the British textiles. Gandhi Ji was of the belief that more than sales, this handwoven Khadi fabric would bring about better changes to the daily lives of people. He also encouraged people to weave their yarn and wear it with pride to establish and maintain the heritage of the country. This understated fabric was a way of highlighting the exploitation policies by the British.

“If we have the ‘khadi spirit’ in us, we would surround ourselves with simplicity in every walk of life. The ‘khadi spirit’ means infinite patience. For those who know anything about the production of khadi know how patiently the spinners and the weavers have to toil at their trade, and even so must we have patience while we are spinning the thread of Swaraj.”

-Mahatma Gandhi

Later, in the year 1925, All India Spinners Association commercially launched Khadi fabric. Advanced weaving techniques emerged and continued to flourish even after independence. KVIC (Khadi and Village Industries Commission) even today, is known for planning and promoting the development of Khadi fabric. After the fabric amassed considerable fame, the organisation worked diligently to improve the techniques and offer employment to Indian artisans.

With dynamic advancements, Khadi fabric is now available in multiple variations. With handwork ranging from Kantha to Block print, this fabric captivates beauty with its subtle weaves. The styles that can be crafted from Khadi are not limited to a Nehru jacket anymore. You can now choose from a wide range of shirts, flared pants and dresses.  

Modern machinery is taking over the traditional methods of manual crafting. The fabric now also comes with innovative cuts and styles.

Khadi fabric is quite easy to maintain as it needs to be hand washed and ironed for a fresh, refined look.