Sustainability & Innovation

Naturally Derived Colour

Can the dyeing and finishing process become more responsible in the future? We look into the sources of
naturally derived sustainable colour, identifying the drivers and champions in this field

Po st Car bo n Lab
 Overview
The fashion industry's approach to colour creation
and colour evolution is due a reset. Current
expectations are unsustainable and a shift to a
more responsible agenda that fosters a new
relationship with colour and pattern will see
naturally derived colour playing a bigger part in the
product strategies of the future.
Understanding the qualities of natural colour will
be important to selling its attributes and benefits to
the end consumer.
As shoppers become more attentive to the origins
and environmental impact of clothing they will
question every aspect of its creation, but they are
likely to become more open to buying into colour
instability and the evolution of a colour over the life
cycle of a product.
In this report we highlight work in natural
alternatives to chemical dyes and identify the
benefits and challenges they offer via case studies.

Po st Car bo n Lab
 Action Points
Naturally derived colour will be a key part of future
responsible product strategies.
1. Invest in understanding dyestuffs from food
waste. This is a growing source of natural colour
that has commercial potential. It's also an
opportunity to design in brand purpose and
highlight benefits beyond sustainability to wider
community partnerships.
2. Work with global dye suppliers to scale up
natural dye production. There are existing options
out there and we expect more commercial natural
dyes to be available in the future.
3. Move away from bleaching and invest in
natural raw state colours. Undyed native coloured
textiles can now form part of your core palette.
Challenge the ubiquity of optical whites.
4. Partner with and invest in new bacteria colour
technologies to unlock future potential.

Flávia Ar anha
 Context

Undyed
Achieving water sustainability in the apparel supply
chain is an important issue manufacturers and brands @vild ho useo f lit t le
now need to tackle.
A/W 21/22 trend Conscious Clarity addresses the notion
of living with less as part of a zero-waste solution. As
brands focus on a limitarian approach to product design,
the concept of applying colour in its purest form is
gaining traction. Using undyed yarns or fibres in their
natural colour range is becoming a big part of the
sustainability story.
Benefits: this is accessible and easy to upscale.It will
reduce processing times and natural resources. Always
use a recycled or organic source. A naturally coloured O r ganic Co t t o n Co lo ur s S t o r y MFG
organic product is hypoallergenic and appeals to those
with sensitive skin. There is an opportunity here for
storytelling around the use of the native colours of
Botanical colour source: organic cotton, lambswool, alpaca wool, manmade cellulose-
cotton and wool. Cotton comes in green, red and brown
based, recycled polyester, bio silk
variations that offer an alternative to off-white.
Brand adoption: adidas, Bergans, Converse, Story Mfg, AM Silk, Vild House of Little
Scalability: there is a limited colour range to choose
from. There may be some colour variation depending on Categories: activewear, kidswear, intimates, footwear, womenswear
the fibre but that can be built into the product Action: apply undyed textiles to all aspects of the product line as part of a neutral, off-
story. Native-coloured cotton and wool fibres may have white or native colour story
fineness limitations, which reduces use.
 Case Studies
Undyed
Outdoor and activewear brands are
pioneering the use of undyed
polyester. Sustainable products are
being manufactured without colour to
save thousands of gallons of waste
water in the production process. At the
2020 ISPO winter show, Gold Awards
were given to two undyed products.
Adidas Terrex has produced a
Futurecraft Loop Anorak made from
undyed polyester. The mono-material
was produced by Parley for the
Oceans.
Bergans of Norway has partnered with
Spinnova to develop a fully circular
textile. Its backpack concept is made
from a new cellulose material, which is
white and as warm as lambswool. The
brand chose to exhibit this product in
an undyed state, making a clear
undyed statement.
Converse Japan All Star
Musenshoku is part of the brand's
eco-conscious Eclab series. Its upper
is made from an organic cream
undyed and unrefined cotton.
Slow apparel brand Story Mfg’s
Forager Jacket is made from an H y pebeast Pet it Ko libr i
organic cotton slub textile that is
sun-bleached with earth salts.
Natural undyed textiles are
important for sustainable kidswear
brands. Vild produces undyed 100%
organic cotton hats that are soft and
kind to the skin. Using the native
colours of wool is also appealing.
Kidswear brand Petit Kolibri uses
alpaca wool in its native tones.
Textile suppliers such as Organic
Cotton Colours offer a range of
naturally coloured native cottons
that are hypoallergenic and suitable
for sensitive skin.
Ber gans o f N o r way
 Context

Food Waste
Each year a huge amount of food is wasted. Finding
ways to deal with this issue is a hot topic across the
globe. Designers and industry experts are starting to see
food waste as an untapped source of natural dye Fo o d T ext ile

ingredients. Vegetables, fruit and nuts are an excellent

source of natural colour, and food waste from onion
skins to walnut shells and avocado stones is being
processed into dyes and pigments.
Benefits: food waste is a non-toxic source and an
alternative to aniline dyes. It's an opportunity to reuse
post-consumer waste. For the best results, natural dyes
need to be applied to a natural substrate. As the dye is
derived from a natural source, you will need to educate
O ld er Br o t her Fo o d T ext ile
the consumer to accept a subtle variation in colour.
Scalability: scaling up the process is more challenging
but it is possible. There are dye manufacturers that offer
Botanical colour source: onion skins, coffee grounds, matcha, avocado, walnuts
food-based dyes for large-scale production. Dye
specialist Archroma is now offering Earthcolors, a high- Brand adoption: Ternua, H&M, Food Textile, MAAD Cycling, Toyoshima
performance dye made from food waste. Categories: activewear, womenswear, menswear, footwear
Action: test on a volume capsule collection
 Case Study
Food Waste 
Brands are working directly with
restaurants to gather waste and
process it into a source of colour.
Spanish outdoor brand Ternua is
working alongside Archroma to create
Nutcycle, a partnership that utilises
the potential of waste from walnuts.
The raw material is sourced from
Basque cider-house restaurants and
processed by Archroma’s facility in
Barcelona. The dye is applied to its
recycled cotton and polyester-blend
hoodies and T-shirts.
Coffee grounds are another post-
consumer waste sustainable dye
opportunity. H&M announced in a
recent Vogue article that dye made
from coffee grounds from the brand's
China office will feature in the 2020
Conscious Collection due in March.
Japanese brand Food Textile uses
discarded ingredients to dye
sustainable products. It processes
nonstandard foods such as irregular
shapes and cut pieces of vegetables
discarded by food suppliers. It has
partnered with Japanese yarn @maad _ cy cling S alt T ext iles
supplier Toyoshima and at present is
working on a system to connect the
industry with food-related
companies, farms and agriculture.
Sustainable London brand Salt
Textiles is working with restaurants
to reuse seasonal post-consumer
waste. Cycling brand MAAD makes a
line of cycling jerseys dyed using
waste ingredients sourced from
organic and vegan restaurants. It
uses onion skins and avocado peel
alongside plant extracts to create
distinctive products.
T er nua
 Context

Botanicals
Context: there is a resurgence of interest in artisanal
skills and reviving lost ancient techniques, as highlighted Pangaia
in our A/W 21/22 trend New Mythologies. Historically,
natural dyes began to disappear as synthetic
alternatives became less expensive and easier to source,
and the healing and therapeutic qualities of botanicals
such as madder root and turmeric were lost. As more
brands produce natural GOTS-certified organic clothing,
they are naturally turning to plant-based dyes. Ensuring
dyes are classified as non-sensitising and non-allergic is
becoming increasingly important.
Benefits: a non-toxic source and alternative to
petroleum-based aniline dyes, they have hypoallergenic
Flávia Ar anha Awave Awake
qualities. Natural dyes can have a unique look and depth
of colour.
Scalability: the best results will be achieved with a
Botanical colour source: turmeric, madder, rose, weld, comfrey, nettle, eucalyptus
natural substrate. The consumer needs to be educated to
appreciate colour variation. It can be challenging to Brand adoption: Nike, Illoura, Awaveawake, Flavia Aranha, Hara the Label
scale up due to the dyeing process and ingredients Categories: intimates, kidswear, activewear, womenswear, menswear
required, however companies such as Natural Dye
Action: work with suppliers to test scaling in a small capsule collection. Pioneered by
House use industrial infrastructure to ensure colour
direct-to-consumer and responsible brands
consistency and reproducibility.
 Case Studies
Botanicals
A growing number of brands are
turning to botanical dyes as an
alternative to synthetic dyes.
Pangaia is a design and science-based
brand that's spent many years
creating a sustainable collection. It
uses botanical dyes on its living
basics collection, which it combines
with peppermint as an antibacterial.
Streetwear brands have started to use
botanical dyes for capsule collections.
Nike collaborated with Maharishi to
craft a 100% organic cotton upper that
was coloured with a dye derived from
pomegranate and turmeric.
Kidswear brands are focusing on the
organic market, producing natural
clothing that's kind to baby skin as
well as the planet. Australian brand
Illoura uses plant dyes alongside non-
toxic dyes in its cotton-based
collection.
Luxury sustainable womenswear
brand Awaveawake produces 100%
silk satin garments that are plant-
dyed. It uses ingredients such as
mango leaves and Balinese flowers
to dye fabrics.
Illo r a t he Label Flávia Ar anha
Brazilian slow fashion brand Flavia
Aranha creates "clothes made for the
skin to breathe". It uses natural
colours derived from fruits, leaves
and roots, which are from a
renewable source. It also uses a
botanical printing technique that
involves pressing and dyeing plants
and leaves to natural textiles. This
unique Floral Traces technique was
also explored by Sies Marjan for its
A/W 20/21 collection.
H y pebeast
 Context

Indigo
Indigo dye has been extracted from the Indigofera
tinctoria plant for thousands of years. A long and
technical process carried out by masters in the craft,
natural indigo dyeing was widely used across the globe N ila Jaipur

until being largely replaced by synthetic dyes in the early

20th century. Still produced across Asia, authentic indigo
dyeing is gaining popularity again.
As brands raise questions about their impact on the
environment, they are looking to revive traditional
processes or invest in future technologies. Alongside
natural indigo there is a growing interest in new bio-
indigo technologies.
Benefits: natural indigo has antibacterial and anti- T o ast Buaiso u
inflammatory properties. It’s also flame-retardant. Like
all natural dyes, it partners well with a GOTS-certified
organic story. New bio-technologies offer even greater
Brand adoption: natural indigo plant, lab-developed bio-indigo
sustainability by reducing water and chemical usage.
Brand adoption: Toast, Nudie Jeans, Industry for All Nations, Madewell, Denham
Scalability: natural indigo dyeing can be challenging to
scale and you will need to partner with an expert dye Categories: denim, womenswear, menswear, footwear, accessories
house in China, Japan or India. Some bio-indigo Action: partner with a producer in Asia for a sustainable capsule. Investigate bio-indigo
alternatives are still in development and need investment technologies and consider investing in this new technology
to commercialise.
 Case Studies
Indigo
Slow fashion brands are working with
artisans globally to produce naturally
dyed indigo garments. Womenswear
brand Toast works with mills in Japan
and Turkey that use traditional
techniques in a modern way.
British denim brand Nudie Jeans uses
natural indigo on some styles, along
with GOTS-certified industrial dyes.
Sustainable and ethical US brand
Industry for All Nations prides itself on
preserving the identities of people and
places across the world. It works with
skilled producers in the USA, India,
Bolivia and Guatemala. Natural indigo
dyeing is an important part of its
responsible production process and it
works with a specialist dye house in
India as part of its IOAN Clean Clothes
Project.
Natural waste ingredients are
innovating the denim manufacturing
process. Kitotex is a new sustainable
dyeing process used by the Candiani
Denim mill for brands Madewell and
Denham. It utilises a chitosan
biopolymer derived from waste N ud ie Jeans Ind ust r y f o r all N at io ns
shrimp shells. The technology
reduces the amount of water and
chemicals needed in the industrial
denim dyeing process.
Tinctoriumbio is a biotech company
developing a new sustainable
alternative to industrial indigo. It has
developed a way to use microbes to
mirror a natural plant process. 
Although in early stage development
this has the potential to clean up
industrial indigo dyeing processes.
N ila Jaipur
 Context

Bacteria Pigments 
This next-generation technology, developed at the start-
up level, has incredible potential because it eliminates Co lo r if ix
the need for toxic chemicals and excessive amounts of
water.
Biotech start-ups are creating pigments derived from
bacteria, which is grown in order to extract specific
colourants that can be used to dye textiles. The colour is
dependant on the type of bacteria; so far a range of
colours from blue and purple to red and orange have
been achieved. Scientists are also working on
technologies that can extract a range of colours from
one microorganism.
Benefits: a minimal amount of carbon is used in the Co lo r if ix Po st Car bo n Lab
process. No waste water is generated and no mordants
or additives are required. Unlike natural dyes, ingredients
are not seasonal and don't need to be harvested.
Botanical colour source: bacteria, microorganisms
Scalability: this is a new technology under development,
Brand adoption: Faber Futures, Post Carbon Lab, Colorifix, Vienna Textile Lab
however some commercialisation trials are underway.
The bacteria tend to grow better on a natural substrate Categories: active, womenswear, menswear, footwear
and the variety of colours is limited in some cases. Action: this technology is still in its infancy but monitor its development and partner
with a bio-research lab to conduct development trials
 Case Studies
Bacteria Pigments
Natsai Audrey Chieza is a pioneer in
this field. Founder of Faber Futures,
she won an Index Award in 2019 for
Project Coelicolor. This work explored
the integration of design with
technology to create a new
sustainable dyeing technique.
Post Carbon Lab is a transdisciplinary
research studio that believes there is a
"more sustainable and dignified way
to colour textiles without putting the
people and the environment in
danger". It uses a violacein bacteria
that naturally produces a purple
colour and a kombucha-based dye
that achieves a brown
colour. It's partnering with brands to
explore the possibility of using this
technology in the fashion and textiles
industries.
Colorifix uses the same base
microorganism for all its colours. Its
work is driven by extracting colours
directly from nature. Co-founder and
CEO Orr Yarkoni explains: "Parrots
can create a unique red colour from
a family of pigments named T he Do t s Po st Car bo n Lab
psittacofulvins that exist only in
parrot feathers. By scraping cells
from the ‘tail end’ of the feather, the
Colorifix team can sift through DNA
information to find the message that
instructs the creation of red
pigment." This technology is
attracting attention and Colorifix is
now partnering with H&M to see how
the technique can be scaled up for
production.
Co lo r if ix
 Related Reports
Global Colour A/W 21/22 Future Innovations 2022 Big Ideas 2022: Fashion

Sustainability Bulletin: January 2020 Sustainability Bulletin: December 2019 Sustainability Bulletin: November 2019