These days a lot of textiles are made of synthetic fibres and are also dyed with chemicals. This particular way of producing causes a lot of damage to our environment and to this day we still don’t know what the long term consequences are. In the context of Color Lab we were taught about sustainable dying with fruit and vegetable peels. These are considered a waste stream within our households so this is a means to repurpose those. Hemp is a natural fibre and a more sustainable crops than cotton.
I found Ornament Hemp, a slow fashion company, as a partner for this project. Ornament chooses to. work with hemp because currently, the majority of clothing and design fabrics are made from cotton. Being the major global fibre crop, it is also the most environmentally harmful, using 25% of the world’s pesticides. As pests have become more resistant to these chemicals, larger quantities are required, poisoning both land and water. Hemp, by comparison, needs little or no pesticides and produces three times as much fiber for only a fraction of the water in comparison to cotton. This makes it the most sustainable and environmentally friendly crop to use for textiles.
USED DYES | Blue: Red Cabbage | Pastel Yellow: Lemon | Green: Red Onion | Orange: Yellow Onion | Yellow: Tumeric
