Peruvian Amazon expands Tonello’s natural dye range
Specialist developer of denim washing, dyeing and finishing technologies Tonello, based in Italy, has been working in tandem with Peruvian partner World Textile Sourcing (WTS) to enhance the palette of natural dyes achievable via its Wake dyeing system through utilising the “ancestral knowledge” of rural communities living in and around the Peruvian Amazon.
The company’s marketing, research and development director, Alice Tonello, previously told Inside Denim that the system, available as either an add-on to existing Tonello machinery or in a smaller, retail demonstration-friendly size, was once limited to seven colours. What makes Wake different is its use of only organic and compostable plant resources for dyeing or, as Ms Tonello told us at the time, only “what is [found] in the natural world, without any manipulation”.
Now, thanks to the range of native leaves, flowers, fruits and roots collected by WTS-partnered rainforest communities, it is possible to achieve fresh, richer hues by commercially reproducing a once exclusively local and artisanal process for the international fashion industry, the two companies said.
Not only this, but the collaboration is able to support local people with access to work, thus helping to preserve their traditions and expertise for future generations, they added.
Take a peek at a video made to illustrate some of the work on the project here.
Image: WTS.
