Ayurvastra, derived from the Sanskrit words ‘Ayur’ meaning life and 'Vastra' meaning clothing, it represents the meeting point of medicine and sustainable clothing. Originating from the ancient Indian medicine system of Ayurveda it has been used for over 5,000 years as a technique to support and enhance a person’s health and wellbeing through the dyeing of sustainable cloth with medicinal herbs and plants. Promoted by the Thamizhagam kings and worn by soldiers under their armour in battle to help heal the body in case of wounding, hand loomed natural fibres would be woven before going through the often lengthy process of treating and dyeing the cloth with medicinal plants to help treat many ailments and health conditions. The marriage of the herbs and the colours they produced created a symbiotic relationship between the medicinal properties of the plants and the visual aesthetics of the cloth. In some traditions, chanting mantras during production would take place to infuse positive vibrations in to the fabric, each garment created with intention both from the plants as well as the maker.
Ayurvastra is a process that still exists in India today but is a lesser know strand of Ayurveda. Natural dyeing has been used less and less in clothing production through the demand for cheap, fast fashion, so chemical dyes have largely replaced the need for natural dyeing globally. According to the United Nations Environment Program, textile dying is the second-largest water polluter globally and the biggest offender in the fashion industry. Most textile mills and factories use artificial and synthetic colourants made from petrochemicals which cause great environmental harm and when discharged in to the waterways makes it undrinkable. Our skin is our largest organ and absorbs everything that is placed upon it therefore educating ourselves on how our clothing is made and the chemical impact not only on the environment but on our health feels hugely important in this current climate.
Traditionally plants such as Neem, Turmeric or Sandalwood would be used to create beautiful colours of grey, yellow and pink but also supply the healing benefits of being antibacterial, anti-inflammatory antioxidants that work as an antiseptic as well as being deeply calming for the nervous system. Compared to the modern day petrochemicals most of us are absorbing on a daily basis, practices such as Ayurvastra and natural dyeing feel more important than ever to bring in to our clothing choices.
In the UK the interest and awareness of herbalism and natural plant dyeing has gained momentum in recent years and Suffolk based textile artist Claire Hardaker is someone who dedicates her creative practice to that symbiotic marriage between medicine and textiles. In fact if you were to venture out along the river Deben one morning, you would likely find Hardaker harvesting plants that will later fill the dye pot and infuse her hand spun yarn to be woven in to a beautiful garment.
Working with plants and natural fibres, she creates wearable pieces of clothing which are intended to nurture the wearer. It is through deciding the healing qualities she wants to infuse into the cloth, that will inform the colours that will be incorporated. The plants are the starting point, and the colours are almost incidental, Hardaker said of this process “I’ve found it quite hard to find any combination of natural dyes that don’t work aesthetically. It’s a very freeing way of working”.
The first piece Hardaker made was a shawl and she describes the moment she put it on as feeling so taken care of. “It truly was this deep feeling of being looked after and loved”. This echoes the way in which the Ayurvedic cloths would be prepared with such intention and blessed with the vibrations of mantra. Later, at a point in her life when Hardaker was faced with grief she found her plant allies and describes weaving her grief into a jacket and both the weaving and the wearing feeling a deeply supportive and healing act. She discovered the power this craft could hold that so many have relied on for many centuries.
Hardaker talks of a bracelet she made her daughter where she used fibres of the plants themselves as yarn; nettle fibre for strength and protection, rose fibre for love, and lotus fibre for deep rootedness. “When I’m creating a piece I feel like I am making a potion or a spell, with all the ingredients for nurturing or protecting the wearer. There is a real comfort I find, in connecting with the plants in this way”.
Once Hardaker has landed on the theme of a piece she will gather together some yarns from her stock or take to the dye pot to create new ones and set the intention of the project. Always making sure to harvest responsibly and respectfully she gathers what she needs from the land around her. Mugwort for pale green, Willow leaves for terracotta peach, heather tops for a soft warm tan. Combined, these plants provide properties known to support our physical and emotional wellbeing, through calming the nervous system, relieving stress, providing anti-inflammatory support and to help with healing of the kidneys and urinary system. Once she has all the yarns together, she will begin to weave, mainly on a Saori loom to create the cloth. Saori is a freestyle form of weaving which originated in Japan. There are no rules, no patterns to follow, no mistakes. “It is the perfect art form for accessing a true flow state” says Hardaker. “I have found it a perfect way to translate emotions, or to channel intentions from our deepest selves into the cloth”.
Something I am left with after speaking with Hardaker is the abundance of plants around us that hold such medicinal value, including in our cities, and while the clothing and fashion industry is having huge environmental impact, learning more about these ancient, slow techniques and what’s available on our doorsteps (sometime literally) feels a worthwhile education. As Hardaker has discovered, the possibilities of dyeing with natural matter are endless, this beautiful alchemy can bring a piece of cloth to life and without the use of chemicals has the ability to connect us to nature through our clothing.
I am curious, if we were to take a leaf from Claire Hardaker’s book and the ancient practice of Ayurvastra, if we can begin a more mindful approach to the way we get dressed. Let us champion these traditional techniques and processes still being used so the environment is not compromised, our makers not exploited and we can reap the benefits of our clothing that has been made mindfully, fairly and with fabrics and dyes that are not only chemical free but that actually promote our health both on a physical and emotional level.
By Gabriel Marshall, Co-founder and Creative Director of Nona Wear