Monday 7 January 2008

Banavata.com and Banavata.co.uk Websites Launched

Wholesale enquiries are welcome - Any style , any colour and any size. 0208 123 0557 / paulking@mypashmina.co.uk

BANAVATA is our exciting new brand of clothing and shawls that are 80% bamboo and 20% cashmere - dyed with natural vegetable dyes. All items are handmade in Nepal.

What is the benefit of bamboo?

Comfort & Feel: Due to bamboo fiber’s cross section which is composed of a matrix with various microscopic gaps, bamboo fiber is more breathable, comfortable and thermal regulating than cotton, wool or any other synthetic fiber thereby keeping you cooler, drier and more comfortable all day. This unique micro-structure allows bamboo apparel to absorb and evaporate perspiration faster than any other fabric. It’s nice not to have your clothes sticking to your skin in the hot summer or during exercise!

Bamboo apparel is hypoallergenic. Bamboo’s organic and natural fiber properties make it non-irritating to the skin making it a pleasant alternative for anyone with skin sensitivities or other allergies and dermatitis. Bamboo apparel also protects you from UV rays, naturally.

Environment. Our Bamboo apparel is good for our ecosystems because Bamboo does not require pesticides, insecticides, or fertilizers, and does not involve the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). In contrast, cotton crops are one of the most intensely sprayed crops in the world receiving 3-5 times greater application of pesticides per acre than other crops like corn or soybeans. The chemicals used on the cotton crops are linked to ground and surface water contamination, and even the pollution of drinking water (such nitrates from nitrogen fertilizer are known to cause methemoglobinemia, or “blue baby syndrome” in infants). Cotton crop pesticides are also the greatest crop contributor to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which contribute to low level ozone and smog formation, increasing the green house effect. These chemicals are also documented as causing death and loss of reproductive ability in fish and wildlife. It may surprise you to know that it takes about a pound of chemicals to grow the cotton contained in a cotton t-shirt and pants.

Biodegradable. Further, Bamboo fibers are biodegradable, unlike synthetic textile fibers. Synthetic textile fibers are also made from non-renewable petroleum, and can even emit harmful gasses when incinerated. Almost all polyester/cotton blend fabrics are finished with formaldehyde, a carcinogen, added to make fabrics wrinkle or flame resistant. Our bamboo blends have no such chemical applications, and are all in compliance with, and have passed, the Class 1 flammability requirements for JCPenney, PPS#10-0804, under JCP-FL04-0902 and the Flammable Fabrics Act, 16 CFR, Chapter 11, Part 1610, Standard for the Flammability of Clothing Textiles.

The BANAVATA range only uses natural vegetable dyes. This is why black is not available.