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SUTRAM is a Sydney-based textile house founded by Rukaiya Daud and Kate Fowler, specialising in organic cotton bedwear and home accents. Their design philosophy centres on the dynamic interplay of colours and the subtle tensions they create. Rukaiya and Kate challenge the conventional view of bedwear as static, instead seeing it as a powerful medium that transforms spaces and can reflect and influence our emotions.
We recently partnered with SUTRAM for the launch of our Everyday Launder, enjoy our conversation with Kate and Rukaiya as well as some imagery from the recent collaboration.
We have been friends since high school and have always bonded over a shared love of colour. Noticing that options in the cotton sphere were a little restrictive, we started wondering how to shake this up. Beds take up such a lot of space - what if they were mobilised as more of an feature than an afterthought? So our palette looks at how colour can help to punctuate and break up space and can also be layered up differently over time to bring new energy to a room.
SUTRAM is a Sanskrit and Tamil word which loosely translates to a string, thread, plan or formula. Derived from the stem ‘siv’ meaning sew, or stitch together - sutras must be true, meaningful and devoid of fillers. We sort of gasped at the resonance of this - we love the nod to the physical nature of our product but also of what can be achieved when you bring intention to what you do.
Supporting organic methods and getting properly accredited was an important and straightforward choice for us. Cotton makes up at least half of all textiles on the planet - but the resource hungry nature of conventional cotton farming methods has given it a bad name. Organic farming consumes 60% less energy and 90% less water in comparison - providing a way forward for an industry that supports the livelihoods of over 250 million people. Organic cotton also has longer ‘staple’ fibres which make it stronger but also softer. So whilst choosing organic is a matter of conscience, it also translates to improved quality so our sleepers can enjoy their products for longer.
The painter Marc Chagall has said “All colours are friends with their neighbours and lovers of their opposites.” This is something Rukaiya and I feel quite keenly - how contrasts and synergies can create a sort of dialogue between colours, so the process was quite intuitive - it was about finding the right anchors and accents for things to fall into balance.
Like fragrance, colour is such a sensory experience - it can really set the tone for a space, which we feel can really have an equal inward effect too. With feelings so rooted in memory, seasons naturally form such a strong and emotive mutual reference point for these color associations. So the idea of a seasonal shift makes a lot of sense.
We love a full OCHRE RED scene for the colder months to really ground and warm a space. For spring, a mix of PRISM with LILAC or our blues (HALF BLUE and BLUE BLUE) can serve as a real palette cleanse. And SULPHUR en masse sets an upbeat tone for high summer.
RD – CANVAS with a CAROB Duvet, and SULPHUR and CANVAS pillows.
KF – Our newest iteration of our Contrast Edge style in CANVAS with OCHRE RED piping.
A lot of it is choosing the right partners - we work with a manufacturer that has dealt exclusively in organic cotton since the early nineties, so they have well honed processes when it comes to organic production.
It’s also about knowing where your product comes from. Our cotton is sourced from a cooperative of small farmers across the Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh regions - their numbers have grown steadily in number from 234 to more than 15,000 over the 20 years since our production partner began working with them - so we are proud to be a small part of this story.
To ensure workers are properly protected right back to the source, we specifically source Fairtrade cotton. Via access to the Fairtrade premium - primary workers also benefit from the ability to invest in community-led initiatives that improve quality of life.
Choosing the right organic accreditation also matters. Whilst Oeko-Tex ensures products are free of harmful levels of toxic substances, the Global Organic Textile Standard goes further - no hazardous inputs are allowed at any point in the supply chain, and products must be organic and ethically produced. Our factory also holds and is audited regularly under the SA8000 social accountability standard as an additional assurance.
When workers and resources are treated with respect that not only impacts the safety of workers and the environment but also shows through in the quality and workmanship of the finished product.
Though colour is what might pique your interest at first, the feel of your sheets is what will ultimately keep you invested. So it is really rewarding to hear this positivity about the feel of the fabric coming through really strongly in reviews. The one-over, one-over percale weave has a smooth finish that gives added depth to colour but also a matteness that means it doesn’t overpower a room. It’s interesting this interplay between look and feel - how differently colour can read depending on the finish of a fabric.
RD – Moments of quiet time - this combined with a bit of pressure keeps things moving.
KF – Singing in the car with my daughters, or reading.
RD – My mum’s dhal. It is always what I ask for when I haven’t been home for a while.
KF – Sticky date pudding with ice cream is a recent fixation of ours.
RD – Mortar & Pestle
KF – Tui & Kahili
A very sincere thank you to Rukaiya and Kate for their time and care both for this journal piece and their beautiful brand! View their current colour selections below.