Vani Rajandran, deputy director of the School of Design at Temasek Polytechnic, was his former teacher and remains a good friend and life-coach to Nai today. She said: “Felix has a very clear sense of purpose and direction as one of the very few artisans in the field of indigo dyeing. Not many people are exploring this niche area in Singapore, and he was willing to do something uncharted.”
In contrast to the trend for fast fashion these days, Nai is championing sustainability through his business which focuses on using indigo as a mode of repair by dying over old fabrics to give them a new lease of life.
In addition, indigo dye is a more sustainable medium compared to chemical alternatives. Vani observed: “We all talk about how the fashion sector is the second largest polluter so every small step counts. He has taken that small step to offer an ecological choice for the textile industry as natural dye uses less water, less energy and is a sustainable, renewable source.”
While he hopes to play a role in preserving this craft, he also has big plans for the future. He said, “I would like to progress my practice further, to be more like a designer craftsman where I can explore a range of work and experiment with more mediums and different patterns. I hope to venture into working with daily items like furniture and I have always had an interest in bio-materials,” he said
“At the end of the day, I would like for all the products I work with to be returned back to the ground.”
Adapted from the series Remarkable Living (Season 6). Watch full episodes on CNA, every Sunday at 8.30pm.
Source: CNA
