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Handcrafted
Process
We create each piece of fabric from scratch – from designing the original motifs to hand-printing the patterns on 100% organic cotton. We seek to preserve the heritage textile crafts of block-printing, batik-printing and handloom, reinventing them through modern prints.
Learn more below.
1
Design original patterns inspired by architecture
2
Trace and carve pattern on wood block
3
Mix dye hues using natural plant-based or azo-free dyes
4
Block-print directly onto fabric; each colour printed one layer at a time.
5
Dip-dye fabric with mordant or base dye, boil over wood fire
6
Wash fabric in clean water or flowing rivers (natural plant-based dyes only)
7
Dry fabric in natural sunlight
8
Stitching and finishing by tailors
1
Design original patterns inspired by architecture
2
Weld copper to create wax stamps
3
Mix precise dye hues using azo-free dyes
4
Stamp wax resist onto fabric
5
Roll-dye fabric with base colour dyes
6
Remove wax by melting it away in boiling water.
7
Wash fabric. Waste-water is filtered by eco pools before release.
8
Stitching and finishing by tailors
1
Spinning cotton yarn fibres
2
Setting up the warp
3
Weaving the fabric
1
Spinning cotton yarn fibres
2
Setting up the warp
3
Weaving the fabric
1
Design original patterns inspired by architecture
2
Trace and carve pattern on wood block
3
Mix dye hues using natural plant-based or azo-free dyes
4
Block-print directly onto fabric. Each colour is printed one layer at a time.
5
Dip-dye fabric with mordant or base dye, boil over wood fire
6
Wash fabric in clean water or flowing rivers (natural plant-based dyes only)
7
Dry fabric in natural sunlight
8
Stitching and finishing by tailors
1
Design original patterns inspired by architecture
2
Weld copper
to create wax stamps
3
Mix precise dye hues using azo-free dyes
4
Stamp wax
resist onto
fabric
5
Roll-dye fabric
with base colour dyes
6
Remove wax by melting it away in boiling water.
7
Wash fabric. Waste-water is filtered by eco pools before release.
8
Stitching and finishing by tailors
1
Spinning cotton
yarn fibres
2
Setting up
the warp
3
Weaving
Materials
NOST chooses raw fabrics that are produced and sourced sustainably, to reduce environmental impact in the farming and washing processes.
Organic cotton is grown using methods and materials that have a positive impact on the environment. Organic agriculture protects the health of people and the planet by prohibiting the use of toxic chemicals from synthetic pesticides that can end up in the ground, air, water and food supply, and that are associated with numerous health consequences. Water consumption for organic cotton farming is also 90% lower than chemically grown cotton, due to sustainable water management practices. [Source: Textile Exchange]
Handloom cottons are woven using high quality yarns on traditional step-loom machines, resulting in a lightly textured, soft cotton that is breathable and cooling against the skin. Our handloom cottons are made by artisans from several locations including Pedana, Bhuj and Kolkata in India and Pekalongan, Indonesia. Using versatile looming techniques, our makers also create beautiful ikat weaves and sculptural textured fabrics using natural fibres such as pineapple fibre, flax linen, cotton and silk.
Quality surplus fabric is selectively sourced from overstock production, giving them a new lease of life in limited edition runs. Surplus fabrics are brand new, salvaged from textile mills that typically have vast amounts of left over fabric known as deadstock fabric. These are rolls of fabric that are left after a garment production run, often in smaller amounts so they will never be bought or used by larger garment companies. Making use of these fabrics is a sustainable solution that reduces fashion waste.
Dyes
Our dyes used in the block-printing processes are either completely natural, made from plant bark, fruits, roots and iron crystals, or eco-friendly azo-free dyes which allow a wider variety of hues.
Our natural dyes are made from plant-based organic compounds such as plant bark, roots, fruits (eg. pomegranate, harda, acacia) and boiled with alum mordant for colour fastness. This traditional process requires many steps of washing and drying, resulting in rich, earthy hues of brick red, mustard yellow, black, olive and indigo.
We use eco-friendly dyes that are free of azo - a family of dye groups in conventional synthetic dyes that contain pollutive, toxic compounds ranging from chlorine bleach to known carcinogens such as aryl amines, that are released with moisture. Azo-free low-impact dyes are gentler on your skin and the makers' hands, and kinder to the planet.
Almost 20% of industrial water pollution comes from textiles treatment and dying. Many unregulated commercial textile factories using chemical dyes dump untreated toxic wastewater directly into the rivers. Wastewater contains toxic substances such as lead, mercury, and arsenic, among others. These are extremely harmful for the aquatic life and the health of people living by the river banks, especially agrarian farming communities. Another major source of water contamination is the use of chemical fertilizers in normal cotton production, which heavily pollutes runoff waters and evaporation waters.
The textile industry is chemically intensive - using different chemicals for everything from fiber production, dyeing, bleaching and wet processing of garments. The runoff from chemical dye houses contain heavy metals, alkali salts, toxic solids, and harmful pigments. These pollutants are released into the air and dumped into waterways harming the environment and human health. About 40% of colorants used around the world contain organically bound chlorine, a known carcinogen that can cause cancer. A recent study found hazardous chemicals in 63% of the items tested from 20 different textile brands, including popular fashion giants.
Due to the culture of fast fashion, clothing has become highly disposable. A family in the developed world throws away an average of 30 kg of clothing each year. Only 15% is recycled or donated, and the rest goes directly to the landfill or is incinerated. Statistics estimate that we wear our clothing an average of 7 times, or a lifespan of 3 years, before it is discarded. Textile waste accounts for more than 5% of landfills.
The fashion industry is riddled with problems of trafficking and forced labor, including illegal child labour. Garment workers in commercial factories are often forced to work 14 to 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are also often underpaid, with experts recommending a living wage of 3.5 times that amount to meet basic needs. Most brands and auditing firms focus on their tier 1 suppliers and manufacturers, but a lot of the work is subcontracted out to tier 2 and tier 3 suppliers, where working conditions are often appalling and unregulated.
Every time we wash a synthetic garment (eg. polyester, nylon), about 4,500 microfibers per gram of clothing are released into the water, making their way into our oceans as plastic pollution. Scientists have discovered that small aquatic organisms ingest those microfibers and are eaten by fish and plankton, introducing plastic into our food chain. Polyester is made using fossil fuel, consuming 70 million oil barrels each year in its production. Producing polyester generates 9 tonnes of carbon dioxide per tonne of fabric. The apparel industry accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions.
Synthetic fibers such as polyester, acrylic and nylon are used in 72% of clothing. These plastic-based fibers are non-biodegradable, taking up to 200 years to decompose. When they do, they release chemicals like formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide, heavy metals, BPA, and PFCs into the environment. Natural materials like organic cotton biodegrade much quicker (1 to 5 months) and do not release harmful toxins in the process.
