Down to Earth

In collaboration with Emerging Fashion, I styled and shot 'Down to Earth' to celebrate natural dyes and refashioned clothing, exploring the future of the textile and dye industries and how they can become more sustainable.

 

The ancient practice of using plants to create natural dyes has been revived as we search for more sustainable ways of colouring our clothes. I explored this process over the summer, sourcing 100% cotton and linen textiles from charity shops, up-cycling them, and creating my own natural dyes in my kitchen using flowers, fruits, coffee and spices.

 

The whole process was a profound way to connect with nature and explore the future of dyeing textiles by looking back on traditional practices. 

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Along with the shoot, I wrote an article about the future of textile recycling and the dye industry, covering fashion's waste problem  and the impact of the chemical dye process. I researched developments in recycling fibres and considered whether natural dyes are the way forward in sustainable clothing production. You can read the full article here.

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Photography and styling: Lauren Rees

Model: Sophie Rees

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