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The Lotus Flower Fiber and Sustainable Luxury
Abstract
The lotus flower—of great religious and cultural significance- is adored for its characteristic of rising above the muddy water, indicating how one can rise above defilements of life. Apart from motivation for life, the plant also provides fibers which are used for making a rare kind of cloth matching with the flawless virtues of silk. Extracting fibers from the lotus stems have been in practice since 1910. Later during the 90’s designers of Japan setup workshops to create a foreign market for their fabric. But due to low demand in Japan, the lotus fiber fabric remained a rare and handmade textile. The lotus plants are pure by virtue, and they radiate this purity through their fibers. The fabrics are 100 % organic, and hence they are environmentally friendly. The entire process of fiber extraction, spinning it into yarn and making the fabric is completely handmade making the process time-consuming. This also limits the quantity of the fabric produced. Stems of the lotus plants are collected, cut, snapped, and twisted to expose their fibers. These are thin and white filaments around 20–30 in number, which are rolled into a single thread. Around 20–25 women are needed to extract fibers this way for one weaver to work with. Fibers extracted from the stem are spun into yarn. The extracted fibers are placed in the skeins on a bamboo spinning frame preparing them for warping. Yarns are made by placing the fibers on a bamboo spinning frame and transferring the thread into winders for warping. With much care, not to get tangles, threads up to 40 m long are made. These threads are then taken from the warping posts, and are coiled into huge plastic bags. Yarns for the weft are wound into bamboo bobbins. Yarns are woven in manual looms. Excess warp is stored and later released during the course of weaving. During the weaving process, threads are frequently moistened with water, as the lotus fibers need to be kept cool. The fibers are very delicate and should be woven within 24 h of being extracted so as to prevent their deterioration. The fabric looks like a blend of linen and silk, and has wrinkle resistant and breathable properties given by the molecular makeup of the lotus plant. Based on the experience of the Italian luxury brand Loro Piana, but mainly in the Somatoa, a company founded by Awen Delaval in Cambodia, this chapter examines the potential of this fiber in the (sustainable) luxury sector.
... The fabric looks and feels like a blend of linen and silk (Gardetti and Muthu, 2015). The main component of the lotus fibre is cellulose. ...
... (as cited in Gardetti & Muthu, 2015) to investigate the physical properties of Lotus fibres has provided a theoretical base for developing the fabric. The density of lotus fibre was found to be, much less than cotton, ramie and wool fibres, but similar to silk and acrylic. ...
... A study done by Pandey et al. Cambodian frame looms in 100 yards (90-meter) batches, which takes about a month and a half to complete (Gardetti and Muthu, 2015). ...
In light of growing trend towards sustainability in the fashion industry, the search for eco-friendly textile fibres continues to gather attention. The significance of natural fibres and their contribution towards sustainable development was also acknowledged by the United Nations in a resolution passed by the General Assembly in December 2019. This paper presents a review of selected, cellulose-based bast and leaf fibres which were traditionally used to create exclusive one of a kind textiles. The properties of such fibres and their potential use as textile fibres for the sustainable luxury sector have been discussed. Lotus fibre, Pineapple leaf fibre, Ramie and Banana fibre have been found to be suitable for creating delicate, luxury apparel. Coarser fibres such as Nettle and Hemp find their application in home furnishings as well as for making winter garments.
This paper also attempts to address the relationship between the concepts of luxury and sustainability, which were traditionally considered to be incompatible ideas having divergent meanings. An in depth analysis of the literature reveals that luxury and sustainability are more closely related to each other than we originally believed. Both these concepts are characterized by qualities like durability, longevity and also craftsmanship, which can preserve social and cultural values as well as traditional production techniques. This relationship between the two concepts can encourage the applications of unconventional textile fibres for the environmentally conscious consumers of the luxury sector. This paper concludes that using these unconventional fibres in the sustainable luxury industry can provide two positive effects: it can lighten the burden on conventional textile fibres while also fostering local craftsmanship, and helping to safeguard priceless skills for future generations.
... The fabric looks and feels like a blend of linen and silk (Gardetti and Muthu, 2015). The main component of the lotus fibre is cellulose. ...
... (as cited in Gardetti & Muthu, 2015) to investigate the physical properties of Lotus fibres has provided a theoretical base for developing the fabric. The density of lotus fibre was found to be, much less than cotton, ramie and wool fibres, but similar to silk and acrylic. ...
... A study done by Pandey et al. Cambodian frame looms in 100 yards (90-meter) batches, which takes about a month and a half to complete (Gardetti and Muthu, 2015). ...
“LiFE: Opportunities & Challenges for Fashion, Textiles & Design”
... The wetland ecosystems in India supports diverse and unique habitats (Bassi et al., 2014). The plant also provides fibres used to make a rare kind of cloth matching with the prime qualities of silk (Gardetti and Muthu, 2015). ...
... The lotus fibre fabrics can be best described as in-between silk and linen; the lotus flower fabric is naturally stain-resistant, waterproof, and soft. This soft, breathable, wrinkle-free fabric was once used to make robes for senior Buddhist monks (Gardetti and Muthu, 2015). Gupta (2020) called lotus fibre as "Spiritual fibre" due to the inspiring way of growing the lotus plant in the mud. ...
... The percent crystallinity and preferred orientation of crystallites in the lotus fibres are 48% and 84% respectively (O'Malley, 2011). Gardetti and Muthu (2015) reported that lotus fibres have breaking tenacity and young's modulus very similar to cotton and the elongation of the lotus fibres is only about 2.6%. A later study conducted by Chen et al., (2012) further reported the other properties of the lotus fibre, like its crystallinity, orientation, density, fineness, strength and breaking elongation. ...
... But the availability and affordability issues compel the masses' to adapt to artificial fibers, which resemble natural fibers in texture, look, and feel. Majority of the consumers are aware of the disadvantages of synthetic fibers to their skin and the environment, and thus are inclined to choose natural fiber-based apparels (Gardetti and Muthu 2015). ...
... Attempts have thus been made for the characterization of under-exploited fibers and its further use for apparel Pandit et al. 2020). Some finer cellulosic fibers comparable to cotton such as kapok (Prasad et al. 2018), milkweed (Karthik, Senthilkumar, and Murugan 2018), and lotus (Gardetti and Muthu 2015; have also been investigated for making textiles. Findings reveal that knitted fabric made of milkweed/polyester in 40/60 blend proportions exhibited higher moisture management index and water transport capacity contributing higher comfort to the skin. ...
Characterization, spinning, and fabric preparation of fibers obtained from Tellicherry bark (TB) has been presented. Fibers from the Tellicherry bark (Holarrhena antidysenterica) seed pods were collected and physico-chemical properties analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Thermal Gravimetric Analysis, and X-ray Diffraction Spectroscopy. The fibers were blended with cotton in two different ratios (80/20 and 65/35 Cotton/TB) to form yarn and then converted into knitted fabrics. Properties of the blended yarns and knitted fabrics thus possess good strength (11.9–13.6 kg/cm²), comfort (0.069–0.77 W/cm²), and other mechanical properties, suitable for garments. Results reveal that TB fibers can be successfully used for making garments after blending with cotton.
... It is the national flower of India and Vietnam. It is considered as a spiritual plant and the motif of lotus flower is a very popular design in textiles [12]. Among various religions, Hinduism and Buddhism have a strong religious connection with lotus plant. ...
... Among various religions, Hinduism and Buddhism have a strong religious connection with lotus plant. In ancient days, Cambodian monks have worn natural dyed lotus fabric as a symbol of peaceful living, purity and divinity [12]. ...
Presently, sustainability became a key mantra in all the industries across the world, especially the textile sector as it is one of the largest industries in the world. In textile science, natural fibres have a big role in a sustainable environment-friendly future and became a significant topic to exploit a new natural resource which is green and environment-friendly. Considering this, fibres from various sources were explored by many researchers for its potentialities in improving the quality of life around the world. Aloe vera, banana, sisal, hemp, jute, bamboo, milk fibre, corn, soya, groundnut shell, arecanut, coffee bean waste, lyocell and eucalyptus were few among them. Each year, more synthetic fibres and high energy-consuming products are being replaced by natural-fiber-based products. Additionally, natural fibres have been used not only for clothing but also for technical applications such as composite materials, building materials, filtration and insulation materials. The reason for this trend is not only due to increase environmental awareness but also because of its excellent properties, such as lightweight, strength, low costs and simple sourcing. Meanwhile,waste utilization became one of the important and challengeable jobs around the world. The Textile industry has obtained many fibres from bioresource waste as an important step toward sustainable development. As for example, Pinafibre is a minor fibre obtained from waste pineapple leaves. The study attempted to review some of the selected new sustainable fibres from waste materials and their application in textiles.
... Currently, the plant is held on high regard for the pharmaceutical properties of the seed and flower [10,11]. Meanwhile, lotus silk is considered a sustainable alternative for high-end garment and is rapidly increase the value [12]. To ensure a steady supply of lotus, the cultivation requires clean environment. ...
Nowadays, environmental pollution due to centralized industrialization has occurred rapidly around the world; thus, efficient remediation is in dire requirement. In this literature, the carbon aerogel material was fabricated using the lotus receptacle (LCA) via a hydrothermal treatment and N2-atmosphere pyrolysis. Characterization was conducted using various solid phase analyses to confirm the successful upcycling of carbon aerogel from the mentioned waste by-product. The synthesized material was consequently applied for the adsorption of diesel oil and methylene blue, yielding up to 80 and 99% removal efficiency for the two contaminants, respectively, wherein several factors such as the absorbent dose and dye concentration as well as the adsorption kinetic were also assessed. Besides, the electrochemical properties were additionally assessed to consummate the application of the material in the electrochemical field, which reveals the promising applicability of the fabricated LCA not only as an efficient adsorbent for wastewater treatment but also as a good capacitor with great sustainability even after 500 consecutive charging–discharging cycles.
Graphical abstract
... Textile industry is one of the most criticized sectors in the sustainability manner. Therefore, there is an urgent need to decrease the environmental impact of textile industry all around the world, which means, sustainable & eco-friendly raw materials should be chosen and less polluting production technologies should be developed (Gardetti and Muthu 2015;Kumar and Suganya 2017). ...
The main aim of this study was to introduce a new sustainable natural cellulosic raw material source to the benefits of the textile and composite industry. For this purpose, natural cellulosic fibers were extracted from Trachelospermum jasminoides (TJ) plant and the characterization of the fibers were carried out. Detailed physical, chemical, and instrumental tests were applied for better understanding of the fiber properties. The chemical bonds of the TJ fibers were determined with FTIR. Crystallographic properties were analyzed with XRD. Surface morphology was monitored with SEM and optic microscope images, cotton-like ribbon shape of the TJ elemental fibers was observed. TGA, DTA and DSC were utilized to understand the thermal degradation behavior, the maximum degradation temperature of TJ fiber was determined as 338.2 °C. Chemical tests were applied for the determination of the chemical composition of the TJ fibers. The cellulose content of the fiber was determined as 62.7%. Mechanical characteristics of the fibers were investigated with tensile tests which supplied information about strength, Young’s modulus and elongation. The tensile strength of TJ fibers was 404 MPa. Pull-out tests were applied to both raw and NaOH treated fibers for evaluation of the surface interaction of TJ fibers with polymer matrix in epoxy composites. NaOH treatment 31% increased the interfacial shear strength.
Graphic abstract
... Over the last few years, some vegetable non-conventional fibrous species have been studied, allowing the development of new textile materials, and even rescuing fibers used in the past, but with a novel added value. These are among the group of fibers that Fletcher [5] denominates as "alternative fibers, " which include both the development of better production practices of conventional natural fibers, and introduction of different lower-impact fiber sources, such as Lotus fibers from Nelumbo nucifera plant [6,7], nettle fibers from Urtica dioica plant [8] and pineapple fibers from Ananas comosus plant [7,9]. ...
This work evaluates the dyeing performance associated with a cottonization and bleaching pretreatment of pineapple leaf fibers from two different species from Brazil: curaua (A. lucidus syn. A. erectifolius) and red pineapple (A. bracteatus (Lindl.) Schult. & Schult.f), aiming its application in textile materials for garments. Treated and untreated fibers were compared for their morphological, chemical, physical and color properties. The fibers underwent changes in their chemical and physical structural characteristics after pretreatment. The results of SEM, FTIR and whiteness index analysis indicated that the cottonization process improved the color and surface uniformity of fibers, reducing non-cellulosic matters, such as lignin and pectin. Treated fibers also presented low impurities content, i.e., oils, wax and fats (between 1.1 and 2.1%). However, compared to untreated fibers, treated curaua show an increase in impurities, supposedly caused by the removal of epidermal tissue from the fiber surface, which became the fiber bundle structure more accessible. Cottonization process also produced thinner, individualized and more resistant fiber bundles, which was evidenced by a decrease in linear density by 30 and 42% and an increase in tenacity by 12 and 23%. The dyeing behavior of fibers was investigated using blue, red and yellow reactive dyes. Fibers of both species demonstrated good dyeing behavior, with K/S values compatible with textile application standards (between 4 and 11) and an excellent color fastness to laundering.
... Being a natural resource, the fiber will attain the prime significance among the environmentally conscious class of society. The current utilization pattern of lotus fabric in some countries is specifically related to cultural and environmental preservation by the elites (Gardetti and Muthu 2015). ...
Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), an aquatic monocotyledonous plant, is highly valued for cut flower and plant parts containing medicinal properties. The paper presents the method of drawing out cellulosic fibers from lotus peduncles. Mechanical properties of lotus fibers were evaluated and compared with other common natural fibers. Morphology and characteristics of lotus fiber and peduncle were studied using scanning electron micrograph. Fiber characterization was done to identify the elements present and chemical composition in the lotus fiber by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Results reveal that lotus fiber is one of the finest (0.22 tex) natural fibers with helical structure and promising quality. Chemical characterization of the lotus fiber shows presence of cellulose and similarity with cotton fibers.
In this far-ranging and innovative study Christopher Berry explores the meanings and ramifications of the idea of luxury. Insights from political theory, philosophy and intellectual history are utilised in a sophisticated conceptual analysis that is complemented by a series of specific historical investigations. Dr Berry suggests that the value attached to luxury is a crucial component in any society's self-understanding, and shows how luxury has changed from being essentially a negative term, threatening social virtue, to a guileless ploy supporting consumption. His analytic focus upon the interplay between the notions of need and desire suggests that luxuries fall into four categories - sustenance, shelter, clothing and leisure - and these are exemplified in sources as diverse as classical philosophy and contemporary advertising.
Interview and questionnaire data obtained from 73 leaders of nonprofit environmentalist and for-profit environmental product and service organizations showed that these leaders' personal values were more ecocentric, open to change, and self-transcendent than those of managers in other types of organizations. These leaders also acted as "master managers," performing both transformational and transactional leadership behaviors. As hypothesized, nonprofit environmentalist organizations were highly receptive contexts for transformational leadership, whereas for-profit environmental organizations were at least moderately receptive in this regard. We used these findings to develop a preliminary model of environmental leadership.
Lotus fiber is a natural cellulose fiber isolated from lotus petiole. Botanically, the fiber is the thickened secondary wall in xylem tracheary elements. In order to obtain essential information for the preparation and processing of lotus fibers, the fine structure and properties of lotus fibers were investigated by the aid of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and so on. The results show that lotus fibers display a rough surface topography and an internal structure different from common plant fibers. The percent crystallinity and preferred orientation of crystallites in lotus fibers are 48% and 84%, respectively. Considering the average breaking tenacity and Young's modulus, lotus fibers are similar to cotton. The elongation of lotus fibers is only about 2.6% while their moisture regain is as high as 12.3%.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to extend research into social and ecological entrepreneurship. It aims to examine how ecopreneurs can create an economically viable business whilst retaining their core environmental and social values.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory approach within the phenomenological research paradigm. Single case study of Green‐Works triangulating data collection – semi structured interviews, micro‐ethnography and document analysis. Inductive approach.
Findings
A strong link is identified between entrepreneurialism and environmentalism. The entrepreneurial flair of the CEO enables the pursuit of environmental, social and economic goals. The success of the Green‐Works business model stems from the business's symbiotic relationships: firstly with large corporate bodies, which are keen to quantify their CSR efforts; secondly, with the community and social partners, who provide employment and training for disadvantaged people and a route to relatively risk free growth; and thirdly, with government and social institutions, which provide special concessions and support. The strong economic foundations of the model provide sustainability for the environmental and social objectives of the organisation.
Research limitations/implications
Research restricted to one UK case study – a model that has evolved in part through policies and business trends specific to the UK. Further research should compare this business model with other social enterprises within the UK and other countries.
Practical implications
Provides a practical framework for social and green entrepreneurship. Of interest to ecopreneurs and social enterprises seeking economic sustainability; to governments, wishing to promote CSR, environmentalism and social enterprise; and to corporate organisations wishing to demonstrate a quantitative contribution to the environment and society.
Originality/value
Demonstration of natural fit between environmentalism and entrepreneurialism. Presentation of business model offering economic sustainability for environmental and social enterprises.
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