The Flower That Shapes Fashion - Indigofera Tinctoria

The use of indigo blue dye, obtained by fermenting the leaves of the indigo flower, dates back 6000 years. The first remains were found in Peru during archaeological excavations. Native to India and southern Asia, this miracle plant grows in tropical regions.

It also has names such as the colour of the Pharaohs, civit and blue gold.

Before chemical technology and synthetic dyes were developed, dyes had to be made naturally. To make dyes, mankind had only self-coloured materials such as plants, trees, stones, various living creatures (snails). It was therefore very difficult and expensive to obtain dyes.

At the end of the 18th century, in parallel with the development of the German chemical industry, indigo dye began to be produced synthetically. The first producers were the Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik (BASF), one of today's chemical giants. Fabric manufacturers also increased their production thanks to this development

The vast majority of the world's synthetic dyes are used in the textile industry. It is very difficult to calculate the pollution caused by dye production, textile dyeing and recycling. Expensive treatment and filtering investments for waste water treatment are another problem in terms of cost and financing. As there is a 'return to nature' in almost everything, the new trend in the textile industry is to return to natural dyes and root dyes used centuries ago. With many brands placing great emphasis on this issue, the demand for products dyed with natural dyes is increasing.

Harvest and Mill produce sustainable collections using indigo plant and natural dyes, Lacoste use natural dyes in their latest designs and famous sportswear brand Ellesse are among those adapting to the trend. Many fabric manufacturers are also developing in this area. Google searches for natural dye, root dye, indigo plant dye are also on the rise.

Who would have thought that this flower, which for centuries has fascinated people with its beauty, would become one of the most important components of the textile industry?

Be the first to see the collections of the fabric manufacturers taking part in Jointex Events, using natural dyes and sustainable techniques, stay tuned.