Entrepreneurs talk about their farm-to-fashion brand

What prompted you to start Appachi Cotton?
Our town Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, is home to several handloom weavers and cotton growers. During our constant interactions with farmers and weavers, we found them complaining about there being no takers for their produce. Our family, having been in the cotton business, had realised the advantages of growing organic cotton and went on to transfer the same knowledge to farmers as a solution. Over 240 farmers from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka went on to join us in our organic cotton farming project and thus came about Appachi Cotton.

Was your brand Ethicus the next step?
We not only wanted to give our farmers, environment, weavers, designers and ourselves an identity but also make the handloom sector innovative. We thus came out with saris that suited the purpose of today. We offer products that do not run colour or shrink. Stoles, bed linen, table mats, curtains and other products are also part of this line. Ethicus in short is an ‘ethical’ brand put together by all of ‘us’ — weavers, farmers, designers and environment.

Tell us about your Dotted Trail and Ahimsa silk lines of clothing…
Tops, tunics, shirts and kurtas that come with minimal embellishments are part of the Dotted Trail range . As for Ahimsa silk, we wanted to say silk garments and saris, that are integral to our culture, need not be made by killing silk worms. We wanted to popularise mulberry silk that is made in a non-violent way. Many  brides are now warming up to this line which is encouraging.

Who are the designers you have roped in?
NID and NIFT students intern with us and design our line. They are given credit for their creations. By roping in tomorrow’s trend-setters we are trying to encourage them to use our traditional Indian textiles. We also often visit design schools to popularise organic cotton. Celebrities like Shobhaa De and Prasad Bidapa have also been talking about our brand and we are thankful to them for that.

What are your expansion plans?
We have been getting enquiries from Germany and Switzerland; but we are looking at establishing ourselves first as an Indian brand. We should stop getting used to export rejects. We want to provide our consumers with the best of products. Currently we have tied up with 35 boutiques in the country. In Bangalore, we showcase at Collage, The Verandah and Prasiddhi Silks. Our products are priced between `3,000 and `18,000.

Ethicus is showing their works at Serenity on Nandidurga Road, from 11am to 7pm, on till February 29