Our fashionable decisions effect to the human rights such as working conditions and environmental impact in material production. You might already have heard that consumption of water in textile production is enormous, especially in production of material and in dyeing, finishing and coating of the fabric. One way to save water is natural dying.

Natural dyeing can be done by animal or plant derived dyes. The technology has evolved from the Bronze Age so that soon companies have no excuses not to make better choices. It is not anymore a choice between business growth or environmental care. A responsible business cannot separate itself from transparency and engagement.

There is a saying that you can predict the next year's trend colors from the color of the rivers in China! But in the end, you and your decisions as a consumer are playing an important role in contributing to the fulfillment of the goals set forth in the Paris Agreement. Big words, so how is it done?

COOPERATION IS THE KEY

You might think that does it matter what one person does. We at Vintage for a Cause (VFC) think it matters and for that reason cooperate with companies which produce naturally dyed fabric such as Tintex. Raising awareness of sustainability is our mission, points out Helena Silva the CEO of VFC. We are reusing and so reducing material stock of the fashion industry. 

The latest collection Essentials 1.0 includes naturally dyed pieces as Community Sweat Shirt chestnut signed by Catarina Barreiros and Eternal Sweat Shirt chestnut, signed by Tiago Matos.

Interested in naturally dyed fabrics? REQUEST YOU SAMPLE at TINTEX online store.

"It was an interesting opportunity to co-operate with Tintex and also to insert into the collection materials that have a lower impact both in the pre-consumption phase and post- consumption phase by not releasing toxics within the washing process and to notice that our customers also appreciated this and those pieces were among the most popular of the collection".

In October VFC and Tintex also organized a Natural Dying-workshop in Porto. It was a bonus for VFC community members who placed their pre-order in time.

Course was held by Pedro Magalhaes and Manuela Araújo from Tintex. Pedro and Manuela found the workshop very fruitful and it allowed them also to show how it is possible to use the traditional methods not only at a smaller scale but also at an industrial level.

The participants were happy to learn more about methods of natural dyeing, learning the importance of sustainability when making a purchase decision and also getting some DIY tips.

TINTEX SHOWS THE WAY

My family and I live in a village where water, forest and other natural landscapes are abundant. We used to take water and nature for granted until we realized they are not, says Ricardo Silva, CEO of Tintex. We were a pioneer in the use of natural and sustainable fibres, recognizing innovation and sustainability as a way forward and a gateway to the international fashion industry.

Tintex has developed several methods which are development of colored fabrics with antimicrobial properties, using natural dyes extracted from different parts of plants, vegetables and mushrooms.

The textile industry is one of the most important industries for the Portuguese economy and it is recognized today as a leading country regarding environmental policies to fight climate change.

As well as companies need to take conscious long-term choices instead of short-term business opportunities, all of us need to consider our fashion purchases.

GENTLE FOR THE USER TOO

Natural dyes are not only biodegradable but nontoxic and nonallergic too.

Many of them also have antimicrobial properties, making them safer for kids in particular. Additionally, natural dyes neither contain harmful chemicals nor carcinogenic components, common to artificial or synthetic dyes.

Some studies say that another advantage of natural dyes is that they provide higher UV absorption in the fabrics they are used on. By wearing clothes dyed naturally, you are able to more fully protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays.

The soft shades of color are naturally more pleasant for the eye. They also match well with each other, being naturally from the same color palette.

FOREST SOIL BOOSTS IMMUNE SYSTEM

In Finland it has been developed microbial extract from forest soil, containing thousands of beneficial bacteria and other microbes. Finnish company Ruskovilla is the first in the world to introduce Metsä (forest in Finnish) underwear and accessories for the entire family containing Finnish Reconnecting Nature® microbe extract.

Image credits: Uutescientific® 

The forest soil contains bacteria, archaea and various parts of microbes, among other things. It has the ability to give exercise to our immune system, and thus becomes stronger. A strong immune system can distinguish between things you don't have to react to from the things you need to react to.

But that is another story…

Author: Jaana Monto