A label synonymous with haute couture, it was Lecoanet Hemant’s east meets-west aesthetic that put it on the international map back in the ’80s. And designers and co-founders Didier Lecoanet and Hemant Sagar didn’t just stop there. With a strong desire to go back to the roots and create clothes that truly made a difference, they started researching on Ayurvastra, a forgotten branch of Ayurveda that infuses wellness in the making of fabrics.
A selection of herbs used in the permeation of the fabric
Two decades later, Lecoanet and Sagar brought this vision to fruition through Ayurganic, the brand’s recently launched sustainable spa line. “Everything we had done until now was all about image making. It was about being bombastic,” says 62-year-old Sagar.
The treated fabric is washed in fresh river water
The fabric is boiled in water containing medicinal herbs
Their extensive research led them to Rajan K, a textile expert who comes from a rich lineage of Ayurvastra experts. The designers worked with him over several years to create the perfect blend of fabrics that would not only make the wearer feel comfortable but also have a therapeutic effect.
Hemant Sagar explains the process of Ayurvastra
We are at Balaramapuram, a small town near Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. Here, encompassed by 15,000 square feet of land rich in medicinal trees and plants, lies Rajan K’s family-run Ayurvastra factory—the source of Ayurganic’s fabric.
The final product
The fabric is created over 15 days through a handmade process, that involves seven steps of purifying, dyeing and bleaching. The fabric —made with 100 per cent organic cotton is permeated with various oils and recipe combinations made with over 1,200 herbs. According to Sagar the garments have been created to shield the body from the toxic environment that people are surrounded by. “If you regard your body as a temple, it’s (wearing these clothes) a way of coming home,” he says.
This quality comes through perfectly in the loose silhouettes and comfortable fit that Ayurganic has to offer. “Everything about the fabric is ecological. The label, the threads, to even the buttons, everything is recyclable. I encourage people to bury it in their garden, if they don’t want to wear it anymore or when they have worn it enough. It’ll decompose. That’s how I would imagine these clothes to finish their life-cycle.”
Ayurganic is available to shop on ayurganic.com
Photographs: Sagar Ahuja
