Kala Cotton

Kala cotton is the original pure ‘old world’ cotton of India. Though 'Kala' means black in many Indian languages, here it refers to the cotton pod or core of the cotton. It is a variety of organic cotton which is indigenous to Kutch in Gujarat. The weaving is done by the Vankar (weaver) community from Bhujodi village in Kutch, Gujarat.

Kutch is a region that suffers from harsh weather conditions and water scarcity. But, Kala Cotton needs minimum investment to grow. It is a purely rain-fed crop and has an inherent high tolerance for pests and diseases. It does not require any synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or large amounts of water. As it does not require any such care, Kala Cotton is considered organic 'by default'. In a drought prone region like Kutch, these characteristics of the crop make it extremely energy efficient and cost effective.

Kala cotton has a naturally coarse texture and the fabric is soft, strong and breathable, making it perfect for everyday wear. It has short staple length which translates to fewer twists per inch of yarn, making it difficult to spin and weave. Hand-spinning short staple threads on charkha, dyeing with natural colors, its specific kind of yarn set-up and weaving it on handloom is a challenging and time consuming process for the artisans.

The entire journey from raw cotton to final fabric happens locally in Kutch, generating sustainable livelihoods in farmer and artisan communities. Kala cotton is such an excellent example of carbon neutral, eco friendly textile production in harmony with local ecology.