Kala Cotton is a rain fed crop that uses no chemical fertilizers or pesticides. It is water efficient and almost carbon neutral. Kala cotton is naturally breathable, absorbent and gets softer with every use. Since there are no harmful chemicals used anywhere in the process, it is a safe and sustainable material for clothing and home goods.

Cotton collected from the fields goes through ginning to separate the fiber from seeds and other residue before being spun into yarn. Kala cotton is woven into fabric using a fly shuttle on pitlooms by artisans from the Vankar community in Gujarat who are traditional weavers.

Block printing is the process of using hand carved wood blocks to print. The block is pressed onto the tray holding the pigment paste and pressed firmly onto the stretched fabric. The printer takes care to line up each impression with the previous one as precisely as possible.

Our products also employ the technique of bandhani, a traditional method of tie and dye where the patterns are created by small hand tied knots on the fabric, which when dyed, resist dye in the areas of the knot. Hundreds of these dots are configured together to make a pattern that looks like pixelated art.

All Harkoi designs start with drawings by hand before creating final CADs. We then work with the craftspeople directly and develop color swatches and samples. All our products are handmade at every step of production, in concert with the wonderful craftspeople who help bring our designs to life.

Harkoi products are rooted in textile heritage and handmade at every step, using all-natural materials, and the packaging is all recycled and/or recyclable.