<p>Eri (also known as endi or errandi in India), a form of silk, may not be as well-known as its counterparts like tussar and mulberry. <br /><br />But it’s often referred to as ahimsa silk or peace silk, as the process of making it doesn’t involve the killing of silkworms. Throwing some light on the goodness of eri silk is Bangalore-based designer Deepika Govind, who has come out with a range of stoles and shawls made from this beautiful fabric. The range is titled Eri — The Peace Silk : A Traveller’s Collection. Admitting that she is a pure vegetarian and totally against cruelty to animals, she said, “My quest to find a silk that does no harm to any life form finally found an answer.”<br /><br /> She added, “My journey has been versatile with a clear direction. However, to turn a coarse yarn into a supple and sensuous silk was certainly a challenging task.” <br />The creation of the shawls and stoles involved various meticulous processes like the softening of the fabric, playing with different weaves and giving the fabric the right bounce.<br /><br /> “I used a whole lot of vegetable dyes as it would have been a sacrilege to use acid dyes on something so pure. I started with two dyes — indigo and alizarin,” she said. <br /><br />Deepika informed that vegetable dyes behave like the human skin. “They get tanned in the sun or fade away with time. That’s how their nature is.” According to Deepika, in Indian fashion industry, winter wear is an area with a huge vacuum. <br /><br />Describing the beauty of eri, the designer said, “It can replace Pashmeena or at least compete with it.” Since eri is available exclusively in the North East of India, Deepika termed it as a “national treasure”. “Its cultivation is so limited so it used to take a long time for the yarns to reach me,” she smiled. The prices of the stoles and shawls range from Rs 3,500 to Rs 12,000. The collection is available at Deepika Govind’s stores at Bangalore International Airport, International Departure Terminal and 21/11 Craig Park Layout, M G Road.</p>
<p>Eri (also known as endi or errandi in India), a form of silk, may not be as well-known as its counterparts like tussar and mulberry. <br /><br />But it’s often referred to as ahimsa silk or peace silk, as the process of making it doesn’t involve the killing of silkworms. Throwing some light on the goodness of eri silk is Bangalore-based designer Deepika Govind, who has come out with a range of stoles and shawls made from this beautiful fabric. The range is titled Eri — The Peace Silk : A Traveller’s Collection. Admitting that she is a pure vegetarian and totally against cruelty to animals, she said, “My quest to find a silk that does no harm to any life form finally found an answer.”<br /><br /> She added, “My journey has been versatile with a clear direction. However, to turn a coarse yarn into a supple and sensuous silk was certainly a challenging task.” <br />The creation of the shawls and stoles involved various meticulous processes like the softening of the fabric, playing with different weaves and giving the fabric the right bounce.<br /><br /> “I used a whole lot of vegetable dyes as it would have been a sacrilege to use acid dyes on something so pure. I started with two dyes — indigo and alizarin,” she said. <br /><br />Deepika informed that vegetable dyes behave like the human skin. “They get tanned in the sun or fade away with time. That’s how their nature is.” According to Deepika, in Indian fashion industry, winter wear is an area with a huge vacuum. <br /><br />Describing the beauty of eri, the designer said, “It can replace Pashmeena or at least compete with it.” Since eri is available exclusively in the North East of India, Deepika termed it as a “national treasure”. “Its cultivation is so limited so it used to take a long time for the yarns to reach me,” she smiled. The prices of the stoles and shawls range from Rs 3,500 to Rs 12,000. The collection is available at Deepika Govind’s stores at Bangalore International Airport, International Departure Terminal and 21/11 Craig Park Layout, M G Road.</p>
