Picking up where the
earthborn material movement left off, designers are using natural dyes to bring color to handcrafted accessory collections. Made for the modern hippie (or hipster), these hand-dyed scarves, bags and jewelry call to mind a beachy femme vibe, best suited for the summer months ahead.
Erin Considine: Brooklyn-based jewelry designer Erin Considine crafts 100% sustainable
statement pieces with feminine flair by using all-natural dyes, organic fibers and recycled metals. Taking a delicate approach to last summer’s
nautically inspired rope adornments, Considine wraps, weaves, braids, and coils hand-dyed yarn to create intricate textural patterns. Saturated colors are a trademark of Considine’s work, and her hues can be traced to scavenged source materials (e.g., logwood for blues, madder root for pinks and peaches, and turmeric for bold yellows). Think of it as fashion’s response to the
foodie foraging movement. One-of-a-kind pieces, the creation of which can be followed on Considine’s
Tumblr, cost up to $300.
Scout & Catalogue: Drawing inspiration from a year spent in Puerto Vallarta, Scout & Catalogue designer
Breanna Musgrove uses hand-dyed fabrics, leather and lace to channel the style of Mexico’s “bohemian beach culture.” Oversized scarves and foldable clutches bear the mark of Musgrove’s
dye work, with effects that range from classic tie-dye to subtle ombré. For the sake of sustainability, she uses natural dyes and secondhand leathers, while a “
Scavenger Series” line makes clever use of found fabrics by upcycling them into limited-edition pouches and purses. Musgrove now works out of her native Canada, reflecting the return to cooler climes with a rather muted take on color in her
2011 summer collection.
Dear June: Graphic designer turned
Etsy vendor Romina Bacci recently debuted her line of handmade, hand-dyed cotton scarves to the
prompt acclaim of many a blogger. Citing inspiration from “summer months” and “the sea,” Bacci dyes her scarves in earthy pastels meant to evoke a Jamaican sunset (not the first
Jamaican inspiration we’ve seen lately). With color monikers like Sky, Dusk and Storm, Bacci appeals to her shoppers’ sense of romance, noting that the scarves are “ideal for those breezy nights by the coast.” Dear June’s success comes on the heels of Bacci’s first shop,
MilesOfLight, another
Etsy hit that’s been lauded for its accessibly priced botanical prints.
