I conducted a still life shoot based on the concept of ethnobotany and natural dyes in textiles. I wanted to focus on vibrant colours and bold shapes to give the images a contemporary look and make them differ from already existing images around this subject (which often focus on neutral tones, minimal styling and low contrast photography). I purposely picked plants that are known to give strong/vibrant colour results, such as pomegranate, beetroot and turmeric, so I could create bright and fun images with them. I intend for the these photos to feature alongside samples of fabric that I have actually dyed with the plants to demonstrate how natural dyeing is possible and effective…to hopefully inspire a change in the way we think about the designs and colours of our clothing – maybe we should be dyeing garments naturally ourselves? Maybe we should simply source more ethical brands that do this already? Could this inspire a larger interest in up cycling and DIY fashion, that has so far only been picked up by outsider groups that do not “associate” themselves with mainstream trends?

Continue reading →