The Process

We use and grow our own Mulberries trees for our dyeing process. We fertilise the Mulberry trees in Spring with compost and mulch to keep the soil evenly moist. Our Mulberry trees receive at least 1 inch of water each week to create optimal growth and fruit production.

 

Once the Mulberry leaves are ready for collection:

• We chop them off the trees

• Place them in boiling water and leave them to boil for 30 minutes

• Merging filtration twice

• Add acid while stirring the leaves 

• Collect the precipitation which then leads to collecting the dye 

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When it comes to collecting the silk, we collect the fibre from silkworms. Traditionally, both the cocoon and silkworm are thrown into boiling water so the thread can be unwound

 and woven. However, to prevent killing the silkworms, we cut a small hole at one of the ends of the cocoon so it allows the

silkworm to leave before it is thrown into boiling water. The cocoons are placed in boiling water to soften and dissolve the gum that is holding the cocoon together. Each thread is then carefully reeled from the cocoon in individual long threads and wounded on a reel. 

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For the dyeing process, the yarns are dried, finely grounded and simmered in a large clay basin until the water is a deep orange-brown colour. We then take the silk fabric and delicately soak it into the dye for 30 minutes. Once the 30 minutes is up, we take the silk fabric out and lay it out in a large grass field to dry. The now fire-orange fabric is laid out by the Pearl river and we mop the fabric with mud to give it a buttery texture. We then rinse the silk in the river and set it to dry through midday and overnight so the dye sets. Finally, we apply a thin layer of anthracite coal to cover the silk with a precious varnish. 

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Transportation 

We transport the finished dyed fabric to Los Angeles from the Pearl river via boat.

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Packaging 

Our packaging is plastic free and fully biodegradable. For our individual garment packaging, it is made from non-gmo corn starch so it is compostable. Online orders are sent in a brown paper package, made from FSC sustainable sources. Exterior packaging is made out of cardboard and is either reused or recycled.

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Ultimately, we design and make beautiful clothes that last so that they can be worn over and over again, and aim to increase the awareness of the need to shop responsibly, and to prove that it is more than possible to live a stylish, sustainable life.

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Additional Information:

- 1418 h / 49 days to make the garment
- 14 people were involved throughout the whole process
- 104,15 L of water was used
- 13 637 40 Km and the metres from the river to the field to the factory
- 4 112 425 L of petrol was used
- A very small amount of electricity was required, as most of the process is done by hand