GAUR KUCHHAL

AYURSATWA, TRADITIONAL MASTER DYER, JANIPUR, INDIA

“Quote.”

Gaur is a traditional master dyer that re-awakened late to this ancestral craft when her boy said “mom, you are not happy doing service jobs. What do you really want to do?” Profoundly touched, she remembered having healing hands as a child and that she would love to do something that does good to the people.

Ayurvastra it shall be, health through color and clothing, she decided and embarked on a learning journey. For five years, she travelled all over India to learn ancestral techniques from rural women and to research colors – since each region of India excels in certain colors.

Today, she runs an expert business with crew in her city of Jaipur and in villages, from where she sources colors, employing elder women who thought they were “too old to be good for anything” and  youngsters who can stay with their families instead of being obliged to move to cities and live in inhuman conditions – which makes her crew not only happy but also grateful. And Gaur is proud to do so.

Gaur gives inter/national youth and adults insights to this fascinating art and culture via video and tourits visits and volunteer stays.

TOPICS

color from plants

dyeing

tradition

ayurvastra

fair fashion

 

PREPARATION

Study Gauri’s story and website.

ACTIONS

Do research on chemical colors and health aspects

  • in common pigment mining, e.g. in China
  • in common production, e.g. in India
  • in common fashion container transport, the chemicals used, effects on workers

It’s all in your clothes. How optimal does this feel to you? 

  • and the amount of water used to dye a single t-shirt.

Do you want to continue this for the next 1,000 years?

What are common sense practical steps to change extreme pollution of bodies, water, ocean and soils?

How many alternatives do you know of in your region?

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FOLLOW-UP

Well, you are close to address mystical SDG 8 Decent Work and SDG 9 Industry Innovation … what no fashion business people and policy makers in your country are able to do. What will you do? 🙂 

Connects great with

ZEYNEP KARABACZAK

ZEYNEP KARABACZAK

Natural colors + cosmetics, dyeing garden builder, sevengardens, Germany

PETER REICHENBACH

PETER REICHENBACH

Master artist, sevengardens UNESCO, ESD, RCE-Ruhr UNU, Germany, Global