the dyeing process

There’s something powerful about colour drawn from the earth. We’re fascinated by natural dyes — plants, minerals, roots, and bark —and choose pieces where these methods have been used whenever possible. These shades aren’t just beautiful — they carry a story of time, care, and tradition.

eri silk dyeing

Our Eri silk shawls come from Assam and Meghalaya in northeastern India. They are woven from yarn that’s naturally dyed by hand. The following natural ingredients are used to create their rich, earthy tones:

Pink — Lac
Red — Sappan wood
Blue — Indigo
Dark navy — Charcoal, Hillika, Myrobalan
Beige-brown — Tea waste
Off-white / cream — Undyed
Olive green — Onion skin
Forest green — Turmeric + Indigo
Orange — Turmeric + Sappan wood
Mustard yellow — Turmeric

The picture show Narmohan Das checking the coloring of some pieces

cashmere & merino dyeing

Our Cashmere and Merino shawls are handwoven in Nepal. They are first woven in natural (undyed) yarn, then dyed — some using natural dyes, others with safe synthetic colors.

The following natural ingredients are used in selected naturally dyed pieces:

Indigo (blue) — Indigo leaves
Yellow — Pomegranate fruit rinds (Anar)
Green — Indigo + Myrobalan (Harro)
Terracotta peach — Madder roots (Majitho)
Black — Cutch + Indigo (Khavar + Indigo)
Brown — Walnut hulls (Okhar)
Gray — Myrobalan + iron (Harro)
Pink — Lac (Laha)
Olive green — Pomegranate rinds + iron (Anar)
Acacia brown — Cutch wood (Khavar)

in the dye studio

From soaking shawls in iron baths to simmering turmeric over an open flame — the coloring process is sensory and slow.
You’ll see fingers stained yellow, bowls filled with bark and roots, and lines of freshly dyed yarn or fabric catching the light as they dry.

Each batch varies slightly — a beautiful reminder that natural dyeing is never exactly the same twice.