“Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.” Khalil Gibran

What could be more beautiful then knowing what is draped on your bare skin has been lovingly hand dyed with natures finest offerings?

The botanical dying journey was an integral part of the Loomes journey in ensuring sustainable practises were covered for every part of the production journey. We asked ourselves the questions:

How could we reproduce high quality dyes that would age gracefully as the wearer would love their Loomes?
How could we have the least effect on the environment in the design process?
How could we interweave traditional techniques that not only support the environment but the local people within those environments?

Our dying research took us to the incredible art manship of the traditional Indonesian dyers. Theirs was an art that over the last 50 years had been rapidly fading out of their local industry in favour of faster, cheaper and more harmful dying processes.

The high quality and precision to detail, not to mention the abundant & diverse nature offerings for dying made Indonesia an easy choice to bring Loomes. Their technique had been lovingly and slowly perfected over hundreds of years, with unique recipes and blends that bring sophisticated uses of the natural elements into place. By utilizing the traditional craft of the Indonesians and their process, we are playing a part in keeping these slowly dying traditions alive. Getting us all steps closer to lessening the damaging impacts of chemical dying practices.

The dying process for a single colour is a multiple stage process that takes approximately 1 month to set, depending on weather conditions. The process to achieving our blacks has been a difficult but rewarding endeavours, as it is the most difficult colour to achieve with organic botanical dying.

The ancient Chinese hill tribes people would burry their textiles under ground to dye them black.  In Bali, we were able to combine a particular type of bark with 11 other active ingredients that would achieve the beautiful shade of washed black. Once the process is complete, the dyed water is then recycled using tiered ponds of lily pads.

Organically dyed fabrics tend to fade over time, so wash sparingly and lovingly tend to the fabric with gentle care. If the colour has faded too much to your liking, we offer a re-dying service. Have a change of heart to the colour, that to we can re-dye your Loomes piece in a new colour.

Organic dying is an art form, a practice of sustainability, a coming together of community and at piece with the land the dyes were made from.

Wearing Loomes keeps you connected with that thread of natural life…

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