Natural Dyes
8 Frequently Asked Questions About Natural Colors and Dyes
We get asked so many questions about natural dyes that we put together 8 of our most frequently asked questions! What are natural dyes? Natural dyes are textile colorants that are derived from plants, insects and other natural materials. They are steeped in history, mystery and lore and each culture has its own set of prized colors, traditions and meanings. Prior to the mid-19th century, all dyes were from the natural world. Blue came from indigo, yellow from a variety of plants, including fustic, mignonette and dyers’ greenwood, red from madder roots and cochineal insects, purple from logwood and brown … Read more
VIDEO: An Old Sweater, A New Lease on Life with Natural Dyes
There are so many ways of giving your clothing a whole new life instead of sending them to the landfill. Natural dyes are just one of many ideas so we can’t help but love this “Haulternative” video by Leotie Lovely by photographer/videographer, Monique Pantel from Pantel Photo featuring La Manufacture Onirique and Sencha & Bourbon. How they help give an old favorite sweater a new lease on life with fresh color is wonderful. Leotie Lovely made the video below as part of her support of Fashion Revolution’s week of #Haulternatives. She says on her blog that she wanted to transform … Read more
On Makers Row: Eco-Friendly Factories: How Do You Know Your Manufacturer Is Green?
Check out our guest post on Makers Row! As consumers increasingly look for transparency around the making and sourcing of the products they purchase, designers are striving to meet that need not only the conception of the product, but the manufacturing. While finding the perfect, environmentally-friendly fabric poses a challenge that’s equal parts fun and gratifying, locating a factory that adheres to sustainable practices can prove more daunting. So what are the key things you need to know when identifying the factory that keeps your production process green? We spoke to Kathy Hattori of natural dye studio Botanical Colors, a … Read more
Blue Alchemy, a Documentary on Indigo’s Rich History
According to the BLUE ALCHEMY: Stories of Indigo site, the documentary is a feature-length documentary about indigo, “a blue dye that has captured the human imagination for millennia. It is also about people who are reviving indigo in projects that are intended to improve life in their communities, preserve cultural integrity, improve the environment, and bring beauty to the world.” Mary Lance filmed BLUE ALCHEMY in India, Japan, Bangladesh, Mexico, El Salvador, Nigeria, and the USA. Have you seen it? Thoughts? BLUE ALCHEMY: Stories of Indigo Trailer from Mary Lance on Vimeo.
Shades of Color History, From Egypt to Nantucket
This is one of the greatest color wheels we have ever seen! Lapham’s Quarterly looked at “natural” dyes and color from Egyptian Galena in 1900 BC to Nantucket Red in 1950! Fascinating and a must read. Click over to the article here. Image: Lapham’s Quarterly
Olderbrother+Botanical Colors= Natural Dye Heaven
We’re so excited to see our Botanical Colors natural dyes featured with one of our favorite customers on Cool Hunting! Cool Hunting writes: “Olderbrother, the new clothing line started by Portland, Oregon-based designer Bobby Bonaparte and LA-based Max Kingery, has a whimsical, minimalist aesthetic that is partly influenced by the duo’s fascination with Japanese design and partly by their sly, irreverent attitude towards fashion and clothing. The brand’s 2015 autumn/winter collection, called “Enthusiasm and Naps,” is comprised of boxy, unisex and deceptively casual garments like sweatshirts, T-shirts and sweatpants, along with two wool coats, button-down oxfords, polos and a gabardine … Read more
In the News: Botanical Colors on Toxic Color in Fashion
Carolyn Higgins of the Seattle Globalist recently featured Botanical Colors founder Kathy Hattori on toxic textile dyeing. Carolyn writes: “Your soft cotton tee shirt is the ultimate warm fuzzy. Snuggling gratefully into its soft fibers, you feel virtuous about buying a product that was made of natural organic materials. Think of all those barrels of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers that weren’t sprayed on foreign cotton fields thanks to you. Think of the smiling cotton farmers in Turkey and India growing those pure white organic tufts for you to snuggle into. Sigh. Bet you a tidy sum that the label boasting of organic fiber … Read more
Test Dyeing in Detroit With Lazlo
This week we are in Detroit, dipping indigo with Lazlo, an apparel brand run by a sibling duo in Detroit. So exciting! Lazlo is taking the most familiar items in a man’s wardrobe and rethinking each step of the manufacturing process to consider its impact on local economies and the environment. The result is a premium t-shirt with a lifetime guarantee. Check out this interview we had with them back in August and see more of our indigo exploration this week below.
Organic Jeans, Naturally Sourced & Indigo Dyed in Northern California
The San Francisco Chronicle writes: “Rebecca Burgess is on a quest for the perfect jeans. And by perfect, she means a good fit, but also something much deeper than that. Her denim has to have a good conscience. Her dream pants need to be made without heavy metal-based synthetic dyes that pollute the environment, woven with non-GMO organic cotton, and constructed using materials sourced within 150 miles of her west Marin home. The garment must be handcrafted by local artists, not machines or destitute laborers in a faraway sweatshop. It’s a tall order. So tall, she had to fill it … Read more