Before the mid-19th century invention of synthetic—mostly petroleum-based—dyes, all dyes were natural. Today, natural dyes offer a different approach, rooted in material, process, artistry, and rich cultural histories.
Natural dyes are color extracted from plant, fungi, or animal sources. When derived from plants, they are often referred to as botanical dyes. Many, though not all, require the use of a mordant—a substance that helps bind color to fiber, improving washfastness and lightfastness. Extracted dye is typically combined with water, heat, and time to develop color on natural fibers. Botanical prints (eco-prints) work slightly differently, using raw plant material applied directly to the fabric rather than an extracted dye.
Why use natural dyes? The answer is partly visual. Plants produce a wide range of colors—sometimes obvious from petals or leaves, and sometimes hidden and surprising, like avocado skins and pits that create a soft pink. Each piece reflects the specific materials and conditions used to create it, resulting in subtle variation rather than uniformity.
Natural dyes also offer one approach to cleaner chemistry. While improvements are being made in synthetic dye processes, many still rely on fossil fuel-derived inputs and can involve hazardous substances. With thoughtful selection of materials and methods, natural dye processes can offer a lower-impact approach to color.
Natural dyes can also support circularity. They are most often used with natural fibers like silk, cotton, linen, and wool, which can allow for compostability at the end of a garment’s life. It’s worth noting, however, that most composting systems do not currently accept textiles, making this a limited option in practice.
Natural dyes are part of Flora Prisma’s artistic approach to intentional design and part of how we build sustainability into each step of the process. We prioritize thoughtful sourcing, reduced resource use, and small-scale, local production, while recognizing that sustainability is always a work in progress.
