Discover how your clothes connect you with nature, starting with our ancestors who used plants as part of a sacred rite that represented the connection with their gods.
Let’s go back in a bit…
In ancient times, healing with medicinal herbs was quite common (evidence of their use has been found for approximately 5000 years), which were used by shamans; It was knowledge that was passed down from generation to generation, to gain awareness of the magic and powers of plants on the human body.
Natural dyeing.
Initially man began to cover his body because of the climatic conditions, but later by distinction he made his way through the dyeing process (there are samples of dye dating back to the Neolithic 8,000BC in China and India), becoming a hierarchical identity and of purchasing power, in the Roman Empire purple dresses were reserved for the upper classes and monarchs, since it came from the secretion of a mollusk that was too expensive at that time; Even today the color purple continues to be associated with authority and royalty, the insect called cochineal has been used to obtain ranges of reds, indigo for the blue color, oak for dark tones and a variety of herbs and combinations to modify its colors.
Bringing nature to our skin transferred all its healing and magical properties to the human body.
Within the indigenous communities of Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico there was this tradition of dyeing suits with plants and some animals; Today there are still few tribes in which they continue to weave beautiful baskets, looms, garments and dye their bodies from natural elements; It is a very rich work of craftsmanship and a symbolic language that speaks of the cosmogony, its customs and its environment.
Sadly, these valuable processes and information have been forgotten; with industrialization, synthetic colors were created, lagging behind the natural ones, which instead seriously contaminate our ecosystems.
How do we apply it to our brand?
At Nahual we rescue that artisanal and handmade part with the plants that we have at our disposal, we dress in flowers and leaves, it is a whole process of exploration.
What we do is prepare the fabrics (also made of natural fibers) that will receive the dye, we soak, macerate, and put the plants through a cooking process to extract all their dyeing properties. It is surprising since a color can never be exactly replicated. or printed, due to the type of soil, the climate, the time of collection, there are so many factors that influence being able to translate them into fabrics.
We seek to return to our origins and recreate the bond that we have broken due to our wrong actions, reducing waste and responsibly taking advantage of resources. We invite you to learn more about our process.
I hope that, like me, you are passionate about this world and look for the best options for your well-being with our mother earth.
Thank you for coming this far, follow us for more information on our social networks Facebook and Instagram @nahualeco.com
Greetings! Vero
