a letter from the
editor
table of contents
1. 2. 3. 4.
letter from the editor your guide to plant based dyes at home a brief history of time: humankind’s garment odyssey
6.
these are a few of my favorite things - artwork we are what we eat (and what we wear) - journal entry interview with @chlotextiles
7.
brands to watch
8.
self reflection
5.
marigold dandelion celery
chicory carrot walnut husk
onion skins eucalyptus turmeric saffron peach leaves
birch bark tea bags
blue gra
de i u g y t es trus ased dy your
to
avocado roses cherries
eberry ape
plant
b
blackberry rosehip
hibisc us daylil lies
sey
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kin uman
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ys t od rmen
1400-17
the history of how humans make and wear textiles is a long and expansive one. it would be impossible to fit every methodological discovery and aesthetic occurrence on one tiny page, but i’ve done my best to summarize our relationship to how we make our clothes over our ’brief history as homo sapiens.
clothing incre decorative: certa associated with sions and purpos now the most pr manufacturer of textiles
50,000 BCE
earliest dated sewing needles found by archaeologists (Siberia)
170,000 BCE
animal pelts, grasses, and shells used to compensate for lack of body hair in colder climates
6500 BCE
various cultures discover ways to create the first textiles: felts and woven fibers
400-1100 CE
Clothing style is still simple, but craftsmanship of production of textiles like silk, wool, linen and cotton improves significantly
114 BCE
textile trade begins on the Silk Road. — tech & designs are shared by cultures from China to the Mediterranean
700s
easingly ain styles h occases. India roductive f cotton s
1800s
sewing machines and other mechanized textile production methods streamline the efficiency and speed at which clothing can be produced.
modern day fashion industry runs on unsustainable practices: que a push towards sustainability. Increased trade of secondhand clothing & textiles
1900s
synthetic fibers and dyes invented allowing for greater range of designs and functions. Textile machines begin to be operated by computers
these
are a few
favori
things
of my
ite
we are what we
eat
U G HT SF RO MA
RK E
O TH
T
(and wear)
IR -A N E PARISIAN OP
A M
Chloe Piggott is a third-year fashion textile and embroidery student at the London College of Fashion. I reached out to her with a few questions about her experience as a young creative entering the textile industry. Mariel: What first sparked your interest in studying textiles? Chloe: I have always had a passion for art since I was a child, and expressing myself visually has always been very important to me. If I’m honest, I didn’t love textiles until I went to college to study art and design. My passion for textiles grew hugely and the idea of people wearing art was so intriguing to me, because fashion textiles shows individuality and how people express themselves in unique ways. The idea of creating textiles into moving art excites me.
M: Many people don’t realize the monumental role that textiles play in the fashion industry. Is there a job in the industry that you’d like to pursue? C: I want to use what I’m studying in my career, but I want to put a personal twist on it. I would like to go into fashion couture embroidery. Couture creates a powerful statement; wearable art for special moments in life... that are sentimental and rememberable. M: Where did your interest in plant dyes begin? C: I have always been obsessed with the natural world; the idea of fungi, moss and beautiful growth is so intersting! It makes me see that the things we think are disgusting can be just as beautiful as well. A lot of my interest in plant dyes came from my desire to be more sustainable, but I also wanted to show that plant dyes could create amazing colors. I feel natural dying is such an under-appreciated, beautiful process that can be done in so many different ways (right now I’m experimenting with teabags, dried fruits, seeds, and plants to create interesting color palettes).
M: How did you learn about the natural dye process? C: Mostly through my own experimentation; when you find ways to create things yourself the process is more enjoyable and the outcome is a surprise. M: Do you think that the textile industry is shifting towards more natural techniques? C: I don’t, which is very disappointing. Everything is about what can be produced quickly and cheaply. But pushing for a more sustainable practice is very important because fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world, and if we could find ways to project colours onto fabric through natural dyeing it would be much safer. M: What advice do you have for someone starting natural dyeing at home? C: Absolutely go for it! I started reading online about processes of how to dye and what fabrics work best (hint: silk). I go on YouTube to understand visually the processes and final outcomes. You don’t always have to follow the rules: use your imagination.
tch: brands to wa GANG ($$): WOOL & THE d beaupatterns, an ting tools, knit tiful yarn
($$$): & THE KNITTER le Leybourne gned by Nico
chdesi g ancient te in us ed ch it hand st Guatemalan e homes of niques in th ns female artisa
RTNERS ($$): gowns FAME AND PA sentials and r es made-to orde your omizable to st cu e that ar d mass ight (to avoi u height and we and allow yo proudction) of ic br fa e to select th your choice
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In this a ge of sus tainabili ty being it’s much trendy, easier to point fin gers at t dustries he inresponsib le for mo st of the pollution worlds than it i s to real ize our o in this c wn role omplex h uman syst em. Corp should be orations held acco untable f or the de they caus struction e, but we also need consumer to realiz s, we are e that as the ones stoking t he flame s. If you ar e lucky e nough to of doing have the so, I invi privelege te you to reclaim t of produc he power tion for your own wardrobe to sew, k . Learn nit, mend how and color your own Take part clothes. in the cr eative pr ocess, an so, reduc d in doin e the am g ount of w aste in t he world .