From field to fashion: Tintoremus' homegrown indigo cultivation promotes natural dyes
In May 2022_ Clemente Cebrián and Lola López of Spanish sustainably sourced fashion brand El Ganso found a solution for a problem they had been pondering: They had unused fields in western Spain (initially in La Herguijuela) but did not know what to plant there as summers were dry and hot. Then inspiration struck - indigo seemed perfect given that the plant is drought-tolerant and needs a good amount of direct sunlight. In October of the same year_ Tintoremus was born to promote homegrown dyes as well as other natural dyes.
By June the next year_ cultivation increased from initially 2_500 square metres to 20_000 square metres. By February 2024_ it moved about 100 kilometres south to Santa María de Las Lomas and by the end of the year_ the first garments dyed with natural dyes came on the market. In January of this year_ denim was added with Tintoremus_ indigo by Royo Tech Dry Indigo fabric. Today_ the project is the largest indigo cultivation in Europe_ boasting more than half a million Persicaria tinctoria plants on around ten hectares.
Re-dye demo at CIFF
The brand went a step further and not only produced clothes dyed with their nine natural dyes - Indigoremus_ Arbor_ Lilium_ Granatum_ Albus_ Solaris_ Flamma_ Olea and Herbalis - but also started a ReDye corner in their store where customers can re-dye their own garments. To increase visibility_ the brand recently demonstrated its in-store dyeing service at the Copenhagen International Fashion Fair (CIFF).
How does the re-dye service work? Customers simply bring in the garment (or sneakers) they want to dye - preferably natural fabrics like cotton_ linen or silk in light colours - and pick the desired shade from the nine natural dyes on offer. The item is then hand-dyed by the Tintoremus team_ a process customers can watch if they like. After three to five days_ when the garment is dry_ the customer can come back to the store and collect it.
The brand generates its own seed (of the Persicaria tinctoria variety)_ manages all the plantations and perform the various harvests. While it is a lot of work_ it is also rewarding as it re-establishes the connection between producing clothes and the land it came from.
“We believe this is a good way of offering added value to the textile sector and to agriculture. But we have had to be patient and learn as we go. We have realised how dependent we are on the people who work the land_ and on the weather_” explained Lola López according to Inside Denim.
Environmental impact
The results speak for themselves: The brand analysed the environmental impact of Persicaria tinctoria together with sustainability management platform Bcome. It found out_ that compared to the cultivation of bell peppers for example_ the indigo plant has a lower environmental impact and helps conserve soil in the Spanish community of Extremadura.
“We optimize every drop of water_ reducing the impact on water scarcity. We also maximise every stage of the process: The leaves are transformed into compost_ and the use of chemical inputs is minimal_” states the brand on its website.
Therefore_ compared to other natural dyes_ there is a 66 percent reduction of water use_ emissions are lowered by 88 percent and resource depletion by 79 percent. In addition_ Tintoremus_ natural indigo reduces the impact on global warming by 36 percent thanks to the use of spent leaves as a natural fertiliser during extraction.