Sula collections often explore colour and for our Autumn Winter collection we have decided to use indigo dyed gabardine. The gabardine is a deep and intense indigo – soft to the touch and lighter on the inside. Made from 55% flax and 45% cotton with a stiffness that could be likened to denim, this structural fabric has given our classic styles a different look.
Indigo dye is an ancient practice first discovered in India around 5000 years ago, it is also endemic to tropical areas of Africa, Japan and China. Our gaberdine is dyed in Okayama in Japan. For years Indigo dye was more vibrant than any other dyes available at the time and therefore it quickly became highly desirable.
Growing and harvesting the Indigofera plant used to make Indigo takes a whole year, however once the dye is fixed it has been known to remain colourfast for centuries, often the only colour remaining in ancient tapestries. We are so excited to work with indigo at sula, a brand built around longevity.
We will be using indigo dyed gabardine in our AW23 collection, making some of our popular styles including Japan pants, a sula staple and one of our most loved styles. Shannon pants and daisy skirt will also be available in the sturdier indigo dyed gabardine fabric. People have been dying with indigo for 5000 years and today we remain infatuated with the deep and intense blue, ever changing and fading as it lives alongside us.
Natural indigo dye is derived from the plant Indigofera, indigofera extraction has a dark history rooted in colonialism and slavery. The natural dye requires colossal effort to extract the pigment, this is not only hard work but also dangerous. you can read more about this here.
The synthetic dye provides a longer lasting more even colour, which we ultimately decided was what we would use for our collection.
Our Autumn/Winter 2023 collection will be available in shops and on the sula webshop in October.