Low Impact Dyes in Tunic by Indigenous

Low Impact Dyes in Tunic by Indigenous

Underneath the pure comfort and style of the dress, this tunic embodies what ethical fashion is all about: it’s fair trade, organic, and is made from low impact dyes! I’m excited to have partnered up with them to bring you this post!

Fair Trade

In 1993, cofounder Scott Leonard was awakened to the beautiful clothes of local artisans during a trip to South America. He admired the richness of culture woven into each handcrafted piece and was inspired to start his own business. Along with friend and cofounder Matt Reynolds, the NorCal team partnered with artisans in Peru to create Indigenous. The purpose of the company was to place a consciousness towards the environment and its people. Their mission is to elevate artisans in the poorest regions of South America to a fair living wage. By utilizing their handicraft to provide skillful work in the textile market, Scott and Matt collaborated with communities to create their business, Indigenous.

Indigenous has employed hundreds of artisans who utilize handmade methods like hand-held knitting looms: an ancient technique dating thousands of years ago. Each garment is hand knit by an individual in their community, not in a factory. Old world looming techniques, such as placing yarn on wooden foot looms, are practiced in the artisans’ homes like their ancestors before them.

The transparency of Indigenous is remarkable. They have a mobile tech app called The Fair Trace Tool. This tool provides you a personal view from where and under what conditions your clothes were made. It can also show where the fibers to produce your clothes were grown. The use of The Fair Trace Tool, besides customer curiosity and to bash any green washing suspicions, is to offer an opportunity for fair trade awareness. Indigenous shows that ethical fashion businesses can be powerful, successful companies with satisfied employees.

Low Impact Dyes

In addition to their fair trade practices, this company uses organic fibers and eco-friendly low impact dyes! The clothes are made in accordance with the Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS) using organic cotton and alpaca. Alpaca is a native species to South America. As free range roaming animals, the alpacas resemble sheep. Because there are no chemical agents allowed in the land or on the animals, everything is natural. Also, the alpacas are not fed hormones or receive chemical dippings. Since alpacas have a range of fur colors, from bright white to deep blacks, greys, and browns, many of the threads remain undyed.

When the clothes are dyed, Indigenous workers use eco-friendly, natural, low impact dyes. They avoid chemicals they consider environmentally toxic such as aromatic and halogenated solvents, heavy metals, azo dyes, and GMOs. These standards are also placed in efforts to protect water tables and local communities.

Aesthetics

Finally, the design of this dress is gorgeous! This dress is incredibly comfortable. I was looking for a tight-fitted, cotton dress that looked super cute, but was also casual enough to run a few errands in. I realized that I like to highlight my body type, and this dress is perfect to place emphasis on my athletic curves. Structurally, this piece is quite interesting. I’ve had a couple people be surprised when I tell them it’s a dress because it appears to be a top and skirt. That alone adds visual interest and makes the two faux pieces seem as if they move and function flawlessly together.

In all, Indigenous provides fair wages, and a safe, healthy workplace. They also ensure environmental sustainability by responsibly choosing nontoxic fibers and dyes. In addition, Indigenous builds direct and long term relationships and embraces the cultural identity of the community of their artisans. What’s a better reason to support a brand?