Meet the makers who are making a difference for our planet, one eco-friendly design at a time.
When it comes to designing her eco-conscious line of indigo tie-dyed ponchos, ikat tank tops, and shibori pillows, Adroit founder Rajni Kavula is guided by intuition. “Once the fabric is ready, I decide what to make out of it,” explains the Freemont, California-based maker. “I have guidelines, but the actual process of creating patterns on textiles is very intuitive. And no two pieces are alike.”
The roots of Rajni’s business reach back to five years ago, when Rajni’s father passed away and the then–yoga instructor set out in search of a hands-on activity to help her find solace. “I needed to do something, because yoga was not really helping me overcome the grief of losing my father,” she says. That something started with picking up a long-forgotten pair of knitting needles, and evolved into a multi-medium creative exploration touching on macramé, jewelry making, and more. Eventually, Rajni discovered shibori and began experimenting with hand-dyeing, infusing her father’s legacy of sustainable, simple living into each of her pieces.





“Growing up in India, I was raised in a family that believed in simplicity,” says Rajni. “My father followed Gandhi—who was the epitome of living a simple life—so subconsciously, I think I’ve always been drawn toward the same philosophy.” Today, that passed-down principle informs her deliberate approach to design, from the materials she uses to her making process and even her packaging supplies. “My sister is an organic farmer in India, and she connected me with a group of local weavers who produce fabric from cotton that’s grown without pesticides or chemicals,” explains Rajni. “I source my cloth straight from the weavers themselves, which ensures they’re getting a fair price and lets me know where my fabric is coming from—from the ground up.”


SHOP: Indigo-dyed kimono from Adroit, $130

“It’s always amazing to see the results,” says Rajni of the hand-dyeing process. “Each piece is so unique.”


At home in her sunny California backyard, Rajni mixes up her own vats of all-natural indigo dye, taking care to maintain each batch for as long as possible to help conserve water. “I initially started working with cold dyes, but then I learned about the amount of chemicals that were involved,” she says. “I think it all comes back to my upbringing where everything had to be naturally sourced—I really wanted to stay away from harmful chemicals.”
In addition to prioritizing natural materials and minimizing her water usage, Rajni also repurposes her dyeing supplies in her packaging, giving string used to bind fabric new life as indigo ribbons for her kraft-paper wrapped orders. And many of her pieces, like the lightweight ruana shawl that can also be worn as an oversized scarf, are intentionally designed to be long-lasting and versatile. “Buying clothing can have a negative a chain reaction on the environment,” she says. “So if someone is purchasing something from me, I want it to be able to be used in multiple ways for years to come.”





As her business has grown, Rajni has slowly but surely found the peace she was looking for, relishing the meditative aspect of her work and paying it forward to students through in-person dyeing workshops and hands-on DIY kits. “For me, meditation is when I forget about everything else, and I’m 100% present. That happens when I’m doing my craft,” she explains. “I feel very thankful and blessed to be in this space every day. I found healing through art.”
Photographs by Nicole Morrison.
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42 comments
Yuly from CozySocksStore said 1 year ago
This is amazing! Such a different blue color! From saturated to light! I adore the blue color!
yashchirka from yashchirka said 1 year ago
Well done girl! Great idea and very affordable product prices. I also dream to try this technique in fabric dyeing, it seems to me to be a very interesting creative process.
Marina Klimantova from Babycarestudio said 1 year ago
It is so unusual and beautiful! And most importantly, every thing is unique, and can not be repeated.
Anastasiya from byKiama said 1 year ago
Impressive and inspiring story. It is interesting to find out what is behind this works. I wish Rajni good luck in the future
Irina from CuteCrochetToysUA said 1 year ago
An interesting idea. I like the color.
Anna from FairyToysWorld said 1 year ago
Creative clothing. Wish you good luck and happy customers)
Anna from LissiKids said 1 year ago
very beautiful things! Most of all I liked that Rajni uses natural dyes in her work
Irina Zozulya from CleomaKnitShop said 1 year ago
Agreed! Very inspiring! I love seeing what you're doing creatively and the passion with which you're doing it! Thank you!
Anastasia from MypartyboxPrintable said 1 year ago
Indigo is my favorit colore. Indigo+ecostyle it more than i want, i love it.
ClassicMemories from ClassicMemories said 1 year ago
Very pretty shop. Congrats on the feature.
Anna Sypalo from XstitchbyAnna said 1 year ago
Natural materials and so beautiful colors!
Zoui from XZOUIX said 1 year ago
@adroit at first i thought you were using the old technique called blueprinting, it's an ancient technique that came from japan to europe and over time it actually became part of the Slovak artisanal legacy, have you heard of the blueprint dyeing? even Yves Klein loved that technique and i believe thats how he became hooked in his favorite color, later patented as IKB blue :) i did a small fashion collection with blueprint i believe you'd also enjoy it, it pushes the boundaries of printing to the next level <3
Tatiana from WednesdayCeramic said 1 year ago
100% present is on this craft! I'm inspired. Thank you.
Watts DryGoods from WattsDryGoods said 1 year ago
Beautiful products and process!
Natali Podobina from Neyti said 1 year ago
What texture, brightness and emotions! I am sure that all customers get it too!
Sujata from TreasuredMemoryLane said 1 year ago
Amazing and one of a kind! Reminds me of the time I was into tying dying. Congratulations!
Julie Allen from AnnaMaudesMercantile said 1 year ago
All I can say is "WOW!" Such beautiful work and her sensitivity for the Earth. Love Her.
TropicalGarden from TropicalGarden said 1 year ago
Inspiring by your amazing work and shop!
Rita Banerjee from ritzrococo said 1 year ago
WOW! THAT REMINDS ME OF MY SCHOOL DAYS WHERE I HAVE DONE QUITE A FEW PIECES FOR MY SCHOOL PROJECT. IT IS VERY CREATIVE, INTERESTING AND EXCITING! THE BEST THING IS DOING SOMETHING TO RESTORE THE PURITY OF MOTHER EARTH. I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST, RAJNI.
Nelya from Parapelson said 1 year ago
This is a wonderful interview!
Юлия Крамина from YuliasFeltworld said 1 year ago
VERY,VERY NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I also like to paint felt!!!
Highly Collectible from HighlyCollectable said 1 year ago
She is so inspired and inspiring. The piece made me feel like I was standing right there watching her create. Best wishes for much success. I love her work :).
Sharon from YearsAfter said 1 year ago
Beautiful clothing! Looks so cozy comfy! Congrats!
Jaime Wilson from OriginalPeaceByJ said 1 year ago
I definitely get the healing through art. I love to dye things, it keeps me sane! And I love shibori!
Leo Nuvunga from AfricanCraftsCenter said 1 year ago
Beautiful!
TerryLynn Goings from WhimzyGrimzy said 1 year ago
Wow! What an inspiring feature! I love the colors and designs!
Ekaterina from DLfamilyWorkshop said 1 year ago
It's truly amazing! This colour and textures! And so much indigo... One of my favourite, very beautiful. My dream - to make bed linen in this technique by myself. maybe... someday... :)
Patricia Sanial from Creatextiles said 1 year ago
J aime beaucoup cette facon de faire naturelle,peu etre tendance mais tres joli et originale et sans produit chimique. Felicitation
Anna from UniqWool said 1 year ago
What a beauty. I love eco-friendly products. That's why I also work with natural materials.
Jeannie from MysticalRaindrops said 1 year ago
I love indigo! Your cardigan has nice big pockets to hold all sorts of things.
Olga from RionaDress said 1 year ago
Looks really great and natural! Love your work
Natalya Evstigneeva from FeltAlchemist said 1 year ago
This is a very interesting story. Great store, thoughtful idea. On such people can be equal.
Nataly Makina from NatalyMak said 1 year ago
Rainy So consciously doing her work. This is amazing! Handwork is always a meditation.
Irina L from IrmalandBaby said 1 year ago
When my parents were young, they cooked in bleach jeans, denim jackets. And very similar to the effect on these works. And it was called "the style of the Varyonki" From what they cooked. 😂😘
Liza from eEssenceOrganics said 1 year ago
Wow.... very inspiring story and beautiful collections.
Катя и Алёна from KatalenaDollBlythe said 1 year ago
Great! If this is followed in purple, it would be even better! Beautiful
Stekia Pantou from StekiapantouStore said 1 year ago
well done my lady! inspired by uour story and i make more blue earrings. we love the same color
Julia Verulashvili from JuliShvili said 1 year ago
This technology makes every her item really unique!
Irina Kosterina from UniqueTitaniumArt said 1 year ago
Awesome! Unique and space product!
Levchenko Anna from ToddlerSmileShop said 1 year ago
it's magical: to dye cloth and get something unexpected every time
susan from TheColorPaletteCo said 1 year ago
The shades of indigo are so natural and earthy Beautiful!!
Melissa from SynestheticonShop said 1 year ago
Those are some seriously beautiful blues.