Fashion to dye for

The colours we wear have always been an essential component of the way we interact with the world. Whether it’s an expression of identity, solidarity with a cause or a demonstration of rank, colour sends a message. We have been dyeing fabrics for almost as long as we have been wearing clothes, and the development of this ancient practice has shaped the evolution of fashion. The earliest example, estimated to be around 6200 years old, is a piece of woven cotton dyed blue using the indigofera plant. In addition, cochineal insects provided a source of vibrant red, turmeric a rich yellow, and murex snails produced the coveted Tyrian purple. 

It wasn’t until the accidental discovery of synthetic aniline dyes by William Perkin in 1856 that this process began to change. Commercialised in 1859, synthetic dyes provided a cost-effective means to scale up coloured fabric production, producing a consistent colour between batches that was easy to incorporate into the industrial process. But with around 20% of water pollution attributed to the textile industry, the environmental footprint of our passion for colour has become a huge social, economic and ecological problem in many parts of the world.

Sustainable fashion movements over the last 10 years have had a big impact on the fashion industry, and textile companies are now actively investing in improving the green credentials of their products. Gentler chemical alternatives are becoming commonplace, and many businesses are looking at ways to improve the dyeing process itself.