At Indigowares, traceability is at the heart of what we do. Slow fashion thrives on transparency, and we love sharing the stories behind the materials we use. One of the most important elements of our brand is natural indigo dye, and today, we want to introduce you to Kinny Sandhu, the incredible woman behind the indigo cakes we use.
Kinny’s indigo plantation, Sandhu Farm, sits in the foothills of the lower Himalayas, where she cultivates her indigo crop. She calls it Tarai Blue, named after the Terai region, a marshy lowland stretching between southern Nepal and northern India. The name is deeply connected to the land and its people.
The Terai region benefits from monsoon rains that provide essential irrigation. Kinny refers to the monsoons as a gift from God to India. These seasonal rains nourish the land, allowing farmers like Kinny to grow up to four crops a year. This rich, fertile land makes her indigo plantation flourish.
Recently, Kinny shared an exciting milestone—her indigo cakes tested at a purity level of 37% indigotin. This is a remarkable achievement in the world of natural indigo dye. Higher indigotin content means a richer, more vibrant dye that enhances the deep blue hues that we love. This number is also proof of Kinny’s dedication to purity and transparency in her work.
In the fashion world, true natural indigo dye is becoming rare. Many commercial brands use synthetic indigo, which is mass-produced from petrochemicals. This artificial process creates hazardous waste and contributes to pollution. Unfortunately, some synthetic indigo is mislabeled as organic, misleading consumers. Kinny has seen this issue firsthand, which makes her commitment to natural, plant-based indigo even more valuable.
One of the things we admire most about Kinny is her openness about the indigo dyeing process. She shares her journey, farming methods, and insights through her social media accounts. If you follow @kinnysandhu, you’ll see her stunning photos of the indigo cakes, dye vats, and even artwork inspired by her craft. She offers a rare and honest look at the labor-intensive process behind natural indigo.
Kinny and her husband live in Rudrapur, Uttarakhand, a diverse region with a rich cultural heritage. This area is home to people from different backgrounds, including refugees from Punjab after the Partition of India in 1947 and Bengali communities displaced in 1971. This diversity influences everything from local languages to agricultural traditions.
The land around Kinny’s farm is used for growing wheat, rice, and sugarcane. Among these traditional crops, Kinny’s Indigofera Tinctoria stands out as a symbol of resilience and artistry. But Kinny’s connection to indigo runs even deeper—her family history ties back to the old indigo plantations of Eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Before Kinny’s family farmed sugarcane, their land was once an indigo plantation. This history is tied to one of India’s earliest resistance movements—the Indigo Revolt of 1859. During British rule, European planters forced Indian farmers to grow indigo under exploitative conditions. The farmers rebelled, refusing to cultivate the crop. This spirit of resistance carried forward to the Champaran Satyagraha in 1917, where Gandhi led protests against unfair treatment of indigo farmers.
Kinny grew up surrounded by remnants of this history—abandoned farms and forgotten indigo tanks. Now, she is reviving the legacy of natural indigo, not through oppression, but through sustainable and ethical farming. Her indigo plantation is a symbol of this revival, proving that ethical practices can preserve history while benefiting the environment.
Kinny’s journey into indigo farming started in an unexpected place—textile design school. While studying at the Women’s Polytechnic in Delhi, she and her friends struggled to find natural indigo. Someone casually suggested they grow it themselves, and that idea took root in Kinny’s mind. She didn’t just experiment—she went all in, purchasing 100 kilograms of organic indigo seeds and starting her own plantation.
From there, she spent years mastering the art of farming and extracting indigo dye. She learned online, attended workshops, and even brought in experts to guide her. Today, indigo is not just a crop for Kinny—it’s her art. She grows it, dyes with it, and even paints with its pigment, making her a true indigo artist. Her indigo plantation serves as both a farm and a creative space where traditional dyeing techniques flourish.
At Indigowares, we are proud to use Kinny’s indigo dye in our garments. Her dedication to purity, sustainability, and transparency aligns perfectly with our values. Every time we dip our fabrics into her deep blue dye vats, we are reminded that this is more than just a color—it’s a story, a history, and a labor of love.
By choosing natural indigo, we honor the artisans who keep this tradition alive. We celebrate the farmers like Kinny who work tirelessly to grow, harvest, and extract indigo in the most ethical way. And we share this story with you, so you know exactly where your dye comes from and why it matters.
Kinny’s work proves that sustainable, high-quality indigo dye is not a thing of the past—it is very much alive, growing in the rich soil of the Terai region, and making its way into the beautiful fabrics we create. Her indigo plantation continues to produce some of the finest, most sustainable dye available today.
Indigo is more than just a dye—it’s a connection to the earth, to history, and to craftsmanship. Kinny’s farm, built on the legacy of India’s indigo plantations, is a testament to what is possible when passion meets purpose. With every piece of clothing dyed in her indigo, we carry forward a tradition that respects the environment and celebrates the hands that make it possible.
At Indigowares, we believe that knowing where our materials come from makes our garments even more special. The deep, rich blue of our indigo-dyed fabrics carries a legacy of resilience, artistry, and sustainability. And that is something worth wearing with pride.
The value or Kinny’s natural dye is unmistakable. As we use it in our indigo dyeing processes, we are always reminded that the beauty of these garments is created from an agricultural product that gives back to the environment.
