Natural dyes are predominantly plant-based and have stood the test of time for millennia. Interestingly, many of the plants used to produce colour were also valued for their medicinal properties.

Indigo, the beautiful blue dye extracted from the leaves of Indigofera tinctoria, Persicaria tinctoria and Strobilanthes cusia, to name just a few of the species found around the world, was once a major commodity traded along the Silk Road. Before the development of synthetic dyes, extracting colour from indigo-bearing plants was the only way to dye cloth blue. Combined with the secrecy surrounding indigo dyeing, this gave rise to many myths and legends.

Even today, working with indigo—whether using a fermented vat or a fructose vat—presents its own challenges. Indigo is a living colour. A fermented vat, in particular, depends on living bacteria to make the indigotin available to the fibres, requiring patience, care and understanding.

Indigo dyeing is inherently a slow process. Layers of colour are built gradually, one dip at a time, until the desired depth of blue is achieved. It cannot be rushed. In that sense, indigo dyeing embodies the principles of the Slow Movement: mindful, meditative, deliberate and deeply considered.