07/09/2026
Today, we’re going to wrap up our conversation about cotton. In the previous video, we looked at how many resources go into growing it.
But here’s the secret: the environmental impact of fabric isn’t created only in the field — it also happens in the factory.
Do you know where our obsession with brilliantly white clothing comes from? In the 19th century, a white dress was a symbol of incredible wealth. Not because it was beautiful, but because washing it was an absolute nightmare! Queen Victoria had an entire staff of servants who boiled cotton in toxic mixtures of chlorine and ammonia. Such whiteness was simply unaffordable for ordinary people.
Centuries have passed, yet fast fashion still thinks like Victorian laundresses.
Raw cotton naturally has a soft, creamy shade. But to make it brilliantly white or brightly colored, fabric is chemically bleached, loaded with synthetics, and treated with formaldehyde resins — simply to make garments hang smoothly on the racks in a store. So how are we supposed to look at those pristine white cotton shirts now???
But our skin is our largest respiratory organ. And it can sense this chemical trace very well.
When creating collections for Chintamani Alchemistry, I was looking for an alternative: returning to pure, organic, undyed cotton.
Have you noticed the tiny dark specks on our garments? We occasionally get messages from customers saying, “Oh, there’s a defect in the fabric!”
It’s not a defect. Those are tiny particles of the cotton boll itself! The fabric hasn’t been stripped with harsh chemicals; it has preserved its original, natural character. This cotton is completely hypoallergenic and has its own distinctive, warm, natural scent.
And when we use certified organic cotton, it is grown without pesticides, using rainwater harvesting and reducing its water footprint by 90%. At the factory, such fabric is strictly prohibited from being treated with formaldehyde.
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