Kokūn's core
Kokūn was born during the pandemic with a vision to create slow and mindful practices, using and reviving traditional handmade knowledge of textile making and natural dyeing, to become relevant in the present time.
Sustainability and good design are inseparable at Kokūn. At our core, we believe in the importance of connecting to the process of creating, which is the journey of the raw materials to its final product.
Our values derive from :-
+ Ethical Sourcing: Prioritising the use of plant-based fabrics that are sustainably made, all our woven textiles are sourced directly from the weavers in Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Kutch. Our knits come from - Tamil Nadu. Using organically grown natural fibers, help us in reducing our environmental footprint and support local communities. All the textiles purchased are in their korra or raw form, which go through no chemical treatment.
+ Natural Dyeing: We harness the power of nature's palette, using plant-based and eco-friendly dyes. By avoiding synthetic chemicals, we ensure that our dyeing process is gentle on the environment and safe for both our artisans and customers. We experiment with dye plants grown by us, and foraged native finds, along with using temple flowers and food waste for our dyes.
+ Skill development and Exclusivity : The korra fabrics purchased are coloured by our team of skilled natural dyers, we provide natural dye training to rural women, at our dyeing unit in village Raghurampur, in Uttar Pradesh’ which enables them to create and colour textiles for us and helps them in generating income at the convenience of their homes, thus empowering them. It also helps us in maintaining our uniqueness, where every piece of textile coloured or printed is exclusive to kokūn.
+ Upcycled and Made to order : Our love and compassion for the earth drive us to create change in the existing structure of garment production. We implement design processes that have a minimum detrimental impact on our environment, due to our zero-waste techniques of utilizing each and every shred of fabric that we use as an input. In order to be truly zero waste we by choice do not produce pieces per design but rather all our designs are made to order. Thus, ensuring least wastage and allowing us to be circular.
THE LABEL
Embodying the essence of wabi-sabi principle of appreciating the weathered, the handmade, and the authentic, we believe natural imperfections are an opportunity for beauty to thrive.
Our intention is to create beautiful somethings that are a reminiscent of nature - alive and breathing; unique garments that look like wearable pieces of art; and feel like receiving a gentle hug from mama Gaia.
THE PROCESS
Our work involves weaving the infinite beauty of earth's offerings, to create designs possessing a distinct identity of their own.
Our endeavour is to revive the traditional knowledge of textile making and natural dyeing and make them relevant again.
Our uniqueness resides in the way we create and the processes we have come up with, while dyeing and printing our textiles. We also make zero waste pieces, which are one-of-a-kind and due to their handmade nature, they cannot be replicated.
We do not follow trends, and instead create garments based on intuitive practices and nature’s changing moments and seasons. Which results in rare anomalies and unseen imperfect beauties.
Since we are against using any sort of chemicals, which enter our water bodies, to colour our garments- we use our homegrown natural dyes derived from Indigo, Sappanwood, Tesu flowers, Maddar roots, Neem leaves and hibiscus. Fabrics coloured naturally exhibit antifungal, antimicrobial and deodorizing properties.
THE DESIGNER
Mridu is an ever evolving textile artist, along with being the founder and designer at Kokūn. When she’s not creating, you can find her rescuing animals and taking care of her pet family of multiple cats and dogs, who reside in the workshop and her home.
She believes that good design and sustainable practices are synonymous.
“It was during the pandemic in 2020, when I realised how disconnected we are, between the process and the products that we use in our daily lives. I was always interested in how things are made and for me, process and product are inseparable.”
THE HUMAN
+ Idealist + Existentialist
+ Healer + Empath
+ Plant based enthusiast
+ Adventurer + Seeker + Dreamer
+ Wannabe Mycologist
+ Easily bored
THE FAMILY
It takes a village to run Kokūn (quite literally).
Our sampling unit is run from our designer’s humble abode, in the quiet hills of Mukteshwar. Knitting, growing and foraging of local Wild turmeric, rosemary, Himalayan Rhubarb, nettle and Hemp are done here, as well. Our sampling unit is nurtured by Sunita, and many local women, who knit and forage on a daily wage basis, while also being at the comfort of their homes.
Our production unit is in a rural marginalised area, called Raghurampur, near Lucknow. Here we have trained women to naturally dye, along with growing and extraction of some of these dyes with us.
Since the beginning, our entire team has organically and consciously consisted of women (nearly 3/4th of us). Our work addresses gender inequalities, by providing income to rural women in a remote hill area in Uttarakhand, as well as, to rural women in a relatively underdeveloped region in Uttar Pradesh. Kokūn enables them to earn at home which is an opportunity which is not available to them otherwise, thereby, supplementing their household income.