We first reached out to BioDye in 2021 with a request to custom dye our Beach Frock. Some of our initial prototypes had been experimentally dyed with tea. We liked the look, and wanted to incorporate it into our final designs; a neutral option amidst the usual brighter tones of tie-dyed clothing.

Our beach frocks just out of the dye bath at BioDye in madkhol, maharashtra

Later on in our design journey, we decided to incorporate specific natural dye colours into the yarn that was to be woven into fabric in West Bengal. The project was coordinated between Rani & Reine, BioDye and our weavers.

The handspun yarn made its way to BioDye in Maharashtra, where it was dyed  with madder and catechu, and then sent back to the weavers. 

I finally got to see the beauty of those fabrics in person in March 2022, at our manufacturer. Once stitched into garments, the dyes added not only beautiful colour, but a wonderful drape to the fabric, as well.

Our fabrics arrive in Madhya Pradesh, woven with yarns naturally dyed by BioDye.

BioDye is a dye house that uses only vegetal powders from leaves, fruits and regenerative vines (no wood, bark or roots are harvested, where a negative effect on the health of the plant and insects is possible). They also use by-products such as lac (from the lac resin industry) and cutch (from manufacture of edible catechu). 

They use only tannins (myrobalan), aluminum salts
and iron compounds as mordants (no synthetic reactive alum fixer in place of tannin, nor chrome, copper or tin), and non-toxic, biodegradable auxiliaries.

They remove particulate matter from their stove exhaust, and treat their waste water and then use it to irrigate our fruit trees. The sludge is composted and used as manure.

Fabric woven by Guin Handloom using yarns naturally dyed by BioDye. 

Click here to purchase garments that have been hand-dyed by BioDye using natural dyes.