Pretty as a Peacock: Natural Dyes for Contemporary Fashionistas

Join textile artist Kathy Hattori and researcher and designer Rachel MacHenry for a discussion on the opportunities and challenges of natural dyes. A dedicated proponent of sustainability in textile production, Kathy Hattori’s work strives to illustrate the full rainbow from natural sources in a multitude of ways to maximize colour while minimizing impact on the environment. In this illustrated conversation, MacHenry and Hattori examine the history of dye use in the textile industry, its global and local impact, and the prospects for a future full of natural colours in fashion.   

Kathy Hattori is a textile artist deeply involved in working with colors from natural sources, studying their history and their modern day uses and applications. She has worked with textiles since 1982 and traveled extensively to learn natural dye and textile colouring techniques from treasured mentors. She teaches and lectures about natural dyes and has taught at Haystack Mountain School of Craft, Shakerag, and BARN on Bainbridge Island. She is the founder and president of Botanical Colors and is sought after worldwide as a speaker on the sustainable use of natural dyes in global textile production. 

Rachel McHenry is an experienced designer and educator who brings exceptional depth and knowledge to the field. With over twenty years of international experience developing textiles and fashion projects in collaboration with artisan communities for both public- and private-sector clients – including  international projects for the Government of Canada and UNESCO – her work focuses on inclusive and sustainable practices and community-focused design. Using her extensive experience working with natural dyes, traditional techniques, and bio-regional fibres and materials, she has developed collections with artisan communities in Haiti, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Assam and elsewhere, and is active in ongoing investigations into natural dyes through a research project in India. Her work has been sold and shown internationally and is included in several museum collections.