OUR PROCESS FOR HEADBANDS
During Oliver’s Travels and time he has spent in Bali he has seen a variety of interesting and wonderful business, artists, communities, and ways of life. This played a part in the inception of Hormesis as he found a small maker in Bali that represents the things we believe in.
Out of concern from the large use of synthetic colors in textile industry, being a problem contributing to waste and environmental damage the Hormesis maker decided to take action. Founded in 1998 this shop based their system on using natural dyes made from local plants. They have used environmentally friendly methods in fabric dyeing, so that all process can be carried out sustainably and responsibly. They have more than 1 hectare of garden that is used for planting several types of trees. They harvest their leaves and use them as the main ingredients in fabric dyeing. We hope this could be a new direction for the textiles industry in general and specifically for consumers. This process takes longer and requires more care than a synthetic dying process. Extracting the colors from all natural plants is a nod to the ancient cultural values of Bali and the rest of the world. We are pleased to support businesses like this and we hope that they grow and prosper along with their values.
In the research carried out from 1998 to 2001, they succeeded in finding five base types of plants in the natural color dyeing process. Among them are Umbrella tree leaves become black color, mango leaves become yellow color, mahogany leaves become brown, indigofera leaves become blue or indigo color, and Sappan Wood become red color. From the combination of these 5 plants, it is able to produce various types of other colors. Currently they have made more than 500 types of colors.
The process to produce color extracts is time consuming and hands on. The process involves chopping the leaves, drying and boiling the them for a period of 5 to 6 hours to get color extract. Their reason for using leaves as the main ingredient in the natural color dyeing process is because it is viable and sustainable to harvest leaves as a color supply, the leaf extraction process is straightforward and produces wonderful vibrant colors. There is no need to cut down the trees as the leaves grow back. Used leaves can be composted after the color is extracted.
Dying the fabric involves using various coloring techniques. Apart from dyeing the fabric in a solid color, they can create the unique patterns and gradients that we love to see on our Hormesis headbands. Some patterns such as gradations, eco print, steam color, and tie-dye have been always the top choices of their customers. They have done a great job working with Oliver to create beautiful and unique styles in an eco friendly way.
We also use traditionally woven fabrics that are sustainably made in an eco-friendly way with attention and care.