Natural Indigo: A Historical Dye
From Green Leaves Are Born A Blue Pigment...
Natural indigo is a blue pigment obtained from a plant. It is one of the oldest vegetable dyes. It is used in many cultures around the world.
It is found on various symbolic and historical textiles such as the clothes of the Samurai or the cheches of the Tuaregs, hence their nicknames "blue men".
About ten plants make it possible to obtain this blue color after a particular treatment of their leaves, but they do not all have the same effectiveness. It is the indigo tree, native to India, which is the most used. And contrary to what one might think, the leaves of this plant are green and not blue. It is the process used which will cause a chemical reaction and reveal this color so intense and so deep.
Its pigmentation takes on a patina over time and over washes. The indigo blue lets different shades appear, making each piece almost unique.
Wearing blue gold means letting its hue live and age with us.
In 1878, the German chemist Adolph Von Bayer will produce a synthetic indigo. Quicker to obtain, it was in the 20th century that it made its way into big industry and replaced natural indigo, to the chagrin of purists...
Fortunately, some craftsmen still perpetuate this dyeing technique to obtain a color specific to natural indigo, but they are rare. In Japan, there were once more than 1800 farms dedicated to indigo, today there are only 7 left.
We have chosen to use fabrics dyed with natural indigo for its unique coloring and its authentic and historic dyeing process. Most of our indigo dyed fabrics are Japanese. Soon, we will tell you more about our new Japanese denim jeans...
To wear blue gold is to wear its uniqueness, its beauty and its history.
