Ecological fashion, also called sustainable fashion, is an approach in the style industry that focuses on sustainable development, reducing negative impact on the environment and society.
This concept includes the usage of environmentally friendly materials resembling organic cotton and recycled materials, ethical and resource-efficient production processes (water and electricity), and clothing practices resembling vintage or pre-loved.
The aim is to create a balance between fashion trends and environmental sustainability, in addition to human well-being. One of the sustainable development trends is eco-printing, i.e. the usage of natural dyeing techniques using natural materials resembling leaves and flowers.
What is Ecoprint?
Some of us have rarely heard the word “eco-printing”. However, employees within the textile industry are likely conversant in the term. Ecoprint may be defined because the strategy of printing on fabrics using natural or environmentally friendly dyes and creating leaf motifs by hand by applying them to create patterns.
Ecoprint fabric gained popularity within the 2000s and stays popular today. Experts imagine that eco-printing is a timeless fashion trend, which implies it would last eternally.
India Flint, an Australian artist, actively creates eco-printing fabrics and has grow to be a world-famous eco-printer. Her works are characterised by monochromatic motifs depicting flowers, leaves and twigs of Australian flora. Until the eco-printing trend reached Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia.
Read also: Manila's Vision for a Sustainable Future: Transforming the City right into a World-Class Metropolis
Southeast Asia’s wealthy tropical flora has the potential to be explored more broadly and richly, creating eco-prints that usually are not only monochromatic, but additionally richer in Asian colours. Ecoprint textile products offer unique and artistic fabrics for clothing, fashion accessories and interior furnishings.
Ecoprint is different from batik, where to make batik we first should design a raw pattern and this pattern is generally the identical as others, while in Ecoprint the pattern actually will depend on the strategy of arranging the leaves/flowers on the material.
Production Techniques
There are no less than three commonly used techniques for printing on natural fabrics. Each technique requires different methods, tools, materials and causes different levels of difficulty in the material dyeing process.
1. Hitting techniques
Beating is a way of making patterns on fabric by beating. This technique would be the simplest and that is why many individuals select to make use of it. Beating involves placing a number of flowers or leaves on the material after which hitting them with a hammer.
2. Steaming techniques
The steaming technique is a technique of making eco-prints using steam. This technique requires a considerable amount of materials and a protracted process. To create an eco-print with a fascinating pattern, steam a sheet of cloth on which various plant decorations have been glued.
Typically, people use a small piece of tubing to roll the material to be certain the pattern stays intact. The thread or string is then wrapped across the roll of cloth to secure it in place. The steaming process itself takes two hours to permit the complete release of the plant pigments.
Creating an eco-printing fabric using the steaming technique requires three stages: the mordant or soaking stage, the dyeing and motif forming stage, and the fixation stage.
3. Fermentation techniques
Ecoprint fabric is produced using the leaf fermentation technique by soaking the leaves in vinegar water after which beating them, much like whipping. The steps in making eco-printing fabric using the leaf fermentation technique include collecting leaves, flowers, or other plant parts containing natural color pigments and soaking them in vinegar water.
After soaking for some time, place the leaves or flowers on a cloth unfolded on a flat surface. Cover the material with plastic, then hit it with a hammer or other object. The effects are visible and the ecoprint fabric is able to use.
Earth tone, natural shades
Dyes for fabrics and clothing may also be obtained naturally from nature. Natural textile dyes have been widely used since precedent days.
Southeast Asia, with its wealthy natural resources, also has natural resources resembling turmeric (yellow), sapan wood (red), indigofera (blue), mangosteen peel (purple), soga peel (brown), ketapang leaves (black) and plenty of others. Most of them may be present in Southeast Asia, especially within the Sikka, Flores and Thailand regions.
Read also: Singapore's Vision for the Future: A Livable, Inclusive, and Sustainable City
In fact, we will use the whole lot that nature gives us. No matter how small our actions today are, they’ll have a positive impact on the environment. This includes eco-printing. Even using easy materials, we will create products which can be as beautiful as those made from luxury items.
Reference:
Coil. (2023). Learn concerning the history of Ecoprint, which was published in 2000. https://kumparan.com/histori-dan-social/mengenal-histori-ecoprint-yang-muncul-tahun-2000-211HxdHabzS/full
VOI. (2024). Getting to know the Ecoprint technique on clothing: definition and kinds. https://voi.id/lifestyle/363531/mengenal-teknik-ecoprint-pada-pakaian
Ara. (n.d.). Eco-printing. https://sahabatarae.id/ecoprint/
Indonesian media. (2021). Learn about 5 natural textile dyes which can be abundant in Indonesia. https://mediaindonesia.com/weekend/415026/mengenal-5-bahan-pewarna-tekstil-alami-yang-melayang-di-indonesia
