Bodhi is known for saris
The Bodhi brand created by Mala and Pradeep Sinha in Vadodara is one of the most respected in the textiles and fashion business. The duo has carved a niche for their label with a firm emphasis on sustainability and staying on the path of true organic and environment-friendly products that not only encourage traditional weaving and printing techniques, but present them in a contemporary way to fashion-conscious buyers. They speak exclusively to Meher Castelino on their exciting journey and values.
What are the different products made by Bodhi?
MS: Bodhi is known for saris. They have an understated quiet, yet rich, look that is appreciated by our discerning patrons, who are independent in thinking and very highly positioned professionals-bankers, lawyers, bureaucrats, corporates, academics, etc. Bodhi saris exude power and minimal elegance.
However, Bodhi's mainstay is also dress fabrics-in cotton, silk and other natural fabrics. Those who have used our dress fabrics find them extremely appealing not only for the design and aesthetic value, but because our fabrics are soft to feel, colours are fast, machine-wash-friendly and last a long time. We make loungewear and chic homewear for women, which too are extremely popular. Another range that has a huge appeal internationally as well as in the domestic market are the stoles and shawls. Our product range (however small) using end bits of fabrics and scraps such as gudries, bags and pouches also create a lot of interest.
How do you publicise Bodhi? What are the marketing and promotional activities you undertake?
MS: We have been a bit low key about this aspect. You could say that has been our shortcoming. Occasionally, we do get written about and featured in various magazines or design events. Of late, I have started to use social media-Facebook and Instagram-to talk about our work. We are a bit quiet, though occasionally we do advertise when we have a special event at the shop.
What made you start the brand Bodhi, and what does it mean?
MS: Bodhi, simply put, is a state of mind that is awakened, aware, joyous and equanimous. I believe that any creative endeavour, perused in such a state is naturally reflected in the work, and hence the product is infused with these qualities. Thus, we hope, to share our joy with the Bodhi patrons.
It was at one of the Vipassana retreats that this thought came to me. The moment was indeed very magical. The Bodhi journey for both Pradeep and me is as much a personal one, as it is professional. So here, I would like to take you back in time to the late 70s and early 80s when we both graduated from NID. Then, design was not much known and even less understood, and those who had a vague idea were not willing to pay for the services. In such a scenario, we had to employ ourselves to make a living. That is how we became entrepreneurs-by default. In business, but somewhat reluctant!
Fate brought us to Vadodara in the early 80s; I could say we literally walked into the city. Neither Pradeep nor I belong here. So, I can't really say what prompted us to move here. We needed to settle in some place and start our lives. Vadodara seemed like a small charming city that would embrace two young dreamers with not much in their pockets. It did not take long for us to find out that there were not many opportunities for us to function here as designers. We soon also realised that our "designs" only as creative ideas were not going to find any takers, but if we converted those into products, maybe those would find a niche market. Then the whole game began. The challenge was to successfully translate our creative design ideas into marketable products of superb quality.
Looking back, I think it was rather brave of us, I would say, even foolish. I think it has something to do with the age-one is a bit stubborn, boorish and also with a high opinion of one's self!
What is the USP of Bodhi that makes it different from other textiles/fashion brands?
Pradeep Sinha: Bodhi's USP is in being a sustainable label in the truest sense of the word and that would encompass pretty much everything. Being a design-led studio, I would emphasise on the fact that staying away from "fast fashion fads" and rather concentrating on creating patterns and prints that have a long lasting, classic appeal tops the USP list. Bodhi prints are not a "me too"-that is to say, one cannot huddle them together as "like sanganer" or "like kalamkari", etc. Over the years, Bodhi's print and pattern language has carved a niche for itself, which stands firmly on its own as signature Bodhi prints. At Bodhi, we believe in creating a product that is refreshingly modern and contemporary-a product that is relevant for today's global society and lifestyle, and yet Indian in essence and ethos. Here are our guidelines:
- Being alert in using natural resources and harnessing renewable sources of energy wherever possible.
- At Bodhi, we clean, recycle and reuse effluents, which we generate using a very simple and an elegant technology based on filtration and bio-remediation, making us a "zero discharge" unit.
- We believe in developing sustained long-term relationships with our weavers and artisans from whom we procure raw material.
- Our teams of dyers and printers have been with us for decades. Some have come to us as trained and skilled artisans. Most have walked in, joined as helpers, and got trained on the job. I suppose they stay on with us for they like the work culture and the pace of work at Bodhi. Our artisans are paid monthly salaries. They are not only paid fair wages, but also being entitled to provident fund and ESI as well as annual bonus. Our artisans can also avail of interest-free loans from us in times of need.
- Many of the successful experiments and innovations at Bodhi have come about because of the need to be frugal. Frugality had driven us to minimise waste, wherever possible. In this spirit, we use scraps and rags, end bits of fabrics, creatively to make interesting products.
Where is the brand available in India?
PS: At our studio shop in Baroda, as well as at the Taj Khazana, Good Earth and other such premium stores across the country.
How big is the export business compared to the domestic one?
PS: We are a part of the Fairtrade movement. We sell collections through Fairtrade shops across Italy-Consortium of Altra Mercato. Their label is called Auteurs De Monde, though the exports are not huge. Every year, we also sell a small collection at the Santa Fe folk Art Market. We have also collaborated with an eminent illustrator Fakuda San from Japan. We translate his illustrations on fabric using handblock printing. The effect is stunning.
Where is your workshop? How does Bodhi go about its weaving, dyeing, printing, and other methods?
MS: Our workshop is located in Vadodara, Gujarat. I started my workshop in the early 80s on a modest scale. We printed using silkscreen. My decision to set up a hand screen-printing workshop was a very conscious one. At NID, my teacher Helena Perheentupa was a Finnish lady. I was very inspired by the Scandinavian design sensibility, especially the boldness and the graphic quality of the famed Marimekko textiles. My dream was to create something as beautiful and as dramatic as Marimekko in the Indian context. I started by printing dinner napkins, serviettes and then slowly expanded to other products in the home linen-table and bed linen range. In 1989, we had our first solo show in Mumbai at Napean Sea Road, under a marquee by the sea. The setting was awesome and the who's who of South Mumbai turned up for our show!
Shilpa Shah of Garden Silk Mills visited and asked if we would be open to printing dress fabrics for her and that is how we forayed into apparel. In the meantime, at the workshop, we also started to print using wooden blocks. Sally Holkar (who had already started her very successful label Rehwa for the collection of revival Maheshwari fabrics and saris) suggested that we print saris, and the first collection we hand block-printed was on Sally's Rehwa saris. Faith Singh of Anokhi is someone whom I had a long association with. From 1982 until 1994, I regularly created design collections for her home collections.
John Bissell, the founder of the iconic brand Fabindia was someone I looked up to for advice and guidance. He visited us at the institute, and it was an enriching experience to learn and interact with him. So, when the company decided to have its active presence in the country in the retail sector, it was only natural that we collaborated with them. We worked with them until 2010. During the phase, when we worked with Fabindia, we also grew in size and volume of business.
In the recent years, we have consciously stepped aside from the "commercial rat race" and cut down on production. To me, this very sensible decision seems like "to have come a full circle" by working on that scale, which is what we started with three decades ago-more manageable, more artisanal, more human and personal. At the workshop, our extremely skilled team of artisans-dyers, painters, hand-block printers and hand-screen printers produce extremely high-quality fabrics. Our team of women does the most exquisite embroidery. What is so special about Bodhi's embroidery is that it follows the print language that is already established on the fabric. The embroidery enhances it, by way of texture, a dimension and in many cases colour.
Do you think the sustainable and organic movement is more for publicity and less for reality?
MS: I do hope that the sustainable and organic movement is for real and not just for publicity. I do not know about the others, but we at Bodhi take our responsibility far too seriously.
Are foreign buyers aware of the detailing and hard work that goes into your work?
PS: Most of them are. We do take lot of trouble to inform and educate them about how the product is made.
Can these techniques match their quality control standards?
MS: Oh, yes, unless of course they are looking for machine-made perfection. We ask them to celebrate imperfections on weaving as that really suggests that these products are authentically hand-made. If they do not, then they are not really Bodhi buyers.
What is the price range of your products?
MS: Our saris can cost between ₹8,500 and ₹60,000. Our cotton kaftans can cost ₹2,600- 3,000.
What are the innovations in the weaving, printing and dyeing that are typical to Bodhi products?
PS: Bodhi is about experimentation and innovation. We are primarily a printing workshop, and all the printing happens in the house in Vadodara. In working methods, we function more like a "research and development institute" rather than a commercial enterprise. There are plenty of experimentations and innovations conducted in the course of our journey to even begin to list them down here.
However, in a nutshell you could say that we have very successfully translated and used the essence of the present-day technology, processes and new raw materials at the cottage industry level without any use of machinery or equipment. This has an enormous bearing on the quality of our products.
Are there plans to make Bodhi more wellknown like Anokhi or Fabindia?
MS: No, absolutely not. I have worked very closely with Fabindia for almost a decade and a half. We have been one of the very important vendors and I have seen the organisation grow to what it is today. I have my very strong reservations on the handcrafts sector and the scale of operations for it to be truly sustainable.
How many collections do you make in fabrics and garments?
MS: Typically two in a year-one that is festive (winter) and the other that is at the onset of summer. I do not work like fashion designers who work on two very distinct looks-Spring/ Summer and Autumn/Winter. We work from August to January (Raakhi to Christmas/ NRI season) and then to Holi and the holiday season.
Do you recycle any wastage or fabrics?
PS: We are big on recycling as I've mentioned earlier, and we have made all kinds of things- stoles, dupattas, jackets, pouches, quilts.
What order quantities can Bodhi handle?
MS: Bodhi is happy to service small, but sustained orders.
Do you sell offline, or online too?
PS: We sell offline, but now we are gearing up to sell online. We have sold our products on portals such as Jaypore.com very successfully. Now, we hope to have our own shop on Etsy as we think that should be an appropriate platform for our kind of artisanal products. We are so small and niche, I do not think we can make our presence felt in any market. But those who are our patrons, come back to us again and again.
What is the turnover of Bodhi, and what budget is allotted to publicity, R&D and promotions?
MS: Ours is a family owned company-small and at a scale that is personal. We work as one. We spend as and when necessary.
You have an enviable collection of printing blocks...
MS: Our collection of printing blocks is huge. On one hand, they trace and document Bodhi's design journey, and on the other they also speak about a few failed experiments, and some design goof-ups.
Is the brand doing any R&D with respect to natural colours?
MS: Yes. We have been working quite successfully with natural colours.
What is your vision for Bodhi in the 21st century, and what are your expectations?
MS: We started Bodhi in 1984. We had instinctively veered towards frugality, sustainability and a belief in "small is beautiful." Now, in this century, surrounded by mass manufacturing, runaway consumption, uncontrolled waste, disruptive technologies, artificial intelligence, information overload and digital manufacturing, I have begun to think of the future of artisanship and handcrafted products. Digital manufacturing can, on the one hand, unleash creativity, while on the other the ease of manufacturing can lead to frivolous manufacturing and waste. In this scenario, our vision for Bodhi in this century is to constantly raise the bar in innovation and artisanship in the areas of our core competencies, that is through design and making of hand-dyed, hand-printed and hand-embroidered textiles, and at the same time provide opportunities to teach and learn these crafts.
Our vision is to create a beautiful, simple and elegant space that provides facilities for making and teaching, where the joy of artisanship can be experienced, skills and ideas appreciated, and value of handwork realised. We believe that craftsmanship can be appreciated and sustained only through the agency of culture. And, culture is a lived experience. Our vision is to create a space where this culture can be lived.
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