Bridging with Bamboo

“I interned with a company called Colours of Nature in Auroville in 2008 and together we designed an eco-friendly handloom denim line,” says Bagga. That was the starting point. Today,Bagga’s company,Hara Designs,is an export house of garments made from 100 per cent organic cotton and bamboo fibre and exports to European countries. Apart from maternity wear,beachwear and office wear,for both men and women,the yoga clothing line by Hara Designs is also gaining popularity. “Internationally,people are increasingly adopting organic lifestyles and looking for chemical-free clothing,” says Bagga,who finds that organic clothing are in demand European countries,specially Germany.

His yoga collection comprises free-style yoga pants,A-line shorts,T-shirts,mock wraps made from organic cotton and bamboo fibre. “I chanced upon bamboo fibre at an exhibition organised by the Ministry of Textiles some years back in Erode. It’s not an easy fabric to work with and needs a lot of skilled handling,but its properties make it worth it. Also,the nature of the fabric is in line with my design philosophy of giving back to nature,” explains the 32-year-old designer,who sources organic fabrics from Salem in Tamil Nadu and Bhagalpur in Bihar. “Since I work on export projects,the finished garments are now finding takers in Australia as well,” informs Bagga,who is also inundated with inquiries from the domestic market. “I have been invited to showcase my collections at the fashion weeks,but I haven’t found the time yet. I am hoping to be part of a fashion show sometime in September next year,” he sums up.