An Enquiry into Everyday Essentials and What It Does to Your Health and Environment.
Plus, how Crafts can Play a Positive Role.
Sonal Baid of Maayu, Goa-based organic innerwear brand
In conversation with Surucchi Khubchandani, Curator, CD CraftxClimate Series
Key Takeaways
Sonal Baid, founder of Maayu, an organic intimate wear brand, highlights the vital link between lifestyle choices, particularly clothing, and health. She emphasizes that awareness of this connection can drive consumers to make more conscious choices and push producers to adopt greener, more organic methods.
Maayu’s products are made from 100% organic, GOTS-certified cotton, free from harmful chemicals like bleach, fertilizers, and pesticides. They are also compostable within one to three months, depending on soil quality.
The brand integrates traditional craft techniques, such as the use of organic kala cotton, hand block printing, plant-based dyes (especially Indigo), crochet details, and tie-dye, helping to uplift local artisan economies.
Incorporating craft into everyday products promotes both environmental and cultural sustainability. Sonal encourages new brands to explore local crafts as part of their product design process, especially if slow and conscious fashion is a priority.
For conscious consumers, reducing post-consumer waste is crucial. Sonal advises opting for dye-free, natural fibers and using natural detergents to reduce the impact of harmful chemicals on water systems.
A key issue is the lack of uniform standards and regulations in India’s textile production, particularly regarding dyeing practices. This gap, along with low consumer awareness, has led to widespread use of carcinogenic chemicals in everyday clothing, affecting human health.
CraftxClimate
Creative Dignity’s “CraftxClimate” initiative aims to position the crafts sector at the forefront of UN SDG 12 ‘Responsible Production and Consumption’ through issue identification, knowledge sharing, capacity building, and advocating sustainable solutions. Join us as we explore climate-resilient growth paths for handmade businesses together! Our exciting lineup of conversations and masterclasses with industry experts focuses on crafting a sustainable future.