Essentially, natural dyes are what humans have been using forever to colour textiles. Synthetic dyes are relatively recent but have taken over the textile industry, marketed as “better” because of consistency of colour out comes, durability and range of colours but you only have to dig a little to realise there is a darker side to synthetic dyes including toxicity and pollution being major issues but they also have their part to play in humanity’s disconnect form nature which has wider implications.

Natural dyes come from nature, meaning, pigments, whole, fresh and dried plants and even animal products such as cochineal are used to colour textiles. There is colour everywhere in nature and it can be a delight to experiment with foraged botanicals and well known dye stuffs alike.

At Billynou everything is hand dyed in very small batches on the stove, which gives each garment even more of a unique twist and character. There will be lighter and darker areas on one garment, nothing will come out “perfect” and that’s how we like it.

Unlike synthetic dyes, natural dyes are alive, they have a very different depth and texture and are very likely to evolve or change over time. This doesn’t mean that synthetic dyes are immune to change though, quite the opposite, we have all seen a sun faded piece of fabric sitting in a window display somewhere. I personally very much enjoy the nature of natural dyes and I like to try to reframe our relationship to change. Change is a necessary and beautiful part of life and it doesn’t necessarily have to be negative. Some natural dyes will evolve so beautifully over time achieving a character impossible to replicate with synthetic dyes and despite common belief, you can achieve very long lasting colours.

Our skin is our largest organ and everything that touches it gets. absorbed, good and bad. Society is starting to wake up to the dangers of wearing synthetic fibers and toxic dyes so close to our bodies on such a regular basis and going back to nature can be a simple antidote.

In my opinion, natural dyes and fibers are a beautiful way to rekindle a relationship to nature and, by default, to ourselves. Wearing natural fibers that have been naturally dyed just feels different, the energy, the frequency, they feel nourishing. Yes, the process takes longer, but is slowing down really such a bad thing or is it essential and we have all just forgotten.