WILD CHROMA
A PORTFOLIO OF NATURAL DYES
Wild Chroma is a practice-led interdisciplinary project that uses food waste, plants and flowers to produce natural dyes for textiles. The research project aims to visually document the different colours that can be made with natural dyes and the range of printmaking techniques that can be used with natural dyes. The objective of this project is to begin an encyclopaedia of natural dye colours and examples of textile print design that uses sustainable textile techniques that can be used as a reference point and source of inspiration to practitioners and creatives.
The ongoing project works to create a portfolio of natural dyes that can be used as a springboard for projects and a way to learn about the art of natural dyeing. Collaboration and community are at the core of this project, as samples, knowledge and experience will continuously be added to Wild Chroma and shared openly, with the belief that to tackle the harsh, detrimental effects of fast fashion we must work together and create new systems of design.
With its dual focus on colour and pattern, Wild Chroma addresses the pivotal moment faced by both the world and the fashion industry, with the adverse impacts of the climate crisis. Recognising the role of fast fashion in exacerbating environmental and societal challenges, the project underscores the responsibility of the fashion community to instigate meaningful change. Inspired by the Circular Design System and the pressing need for systemic change within textile creation Wild Chroma uses only eco-friendly materials that can be easily reused, recycled or will biodegrade (Circular Design Institute, 2024; Fletcher, 2014)
In the realm of sustainable fashion, colour is often overlooked, yet it remains a crucial element for the advancement of sustainable textiles. Natural dyes are an ancient art that have been long forgotten in our post-industrialisation world, and the practice has been kept alive by indigenous communities around the world. My first experience with natural dyes came from living in Mexico and learning the practice of natural dyeing in Oaxaca from indigenous communities who have practised this artform for over 1000 years (Goode, 2017). In contemporary fashion, even within sustainable fashion, the process of dyeing relies completely on digital dyeing which has disastrous effects on the environment and our health (Wicker, 2023). With the pollution of rivers, destruction of crops and waterways and adverse effects to public health and the health of garment workers; a different system of creating colour is needed now more than ever (River Blue, 2016; Wicker, 2023).
Wild Chroma is a practice-led project that continues to explore alternative methods for creating colour and pattern void of toxic chemicals, in the hope that this will document the exciting possibilities of sustainable dyeing practices. The project is a physical portfolio of fabric samples that champion a circular design process and sustainable and ethical textile dyeing.
Too see the portfolio click the link below:
