Campeche: Natural dyes in industry – Back to the roots

Author: Alberto Saccavini, Founder of Ethicalista, Twitter: @Saccavini.

Looking at Ethical Fashion and Sustainable Practices in the Textile World, dyes are definitely one of the most controversial and problematic fields. Everyone knows about vegetable dyes and their use through history till the late 19th century. They are indeed a possible choice for designers and brands to reduce the ecological footprint of their products.
The clichés make us believe however, that vegetable dyes are associated with the image of small-scale production, or even only home-made products, using with large pots and wooden spoons. Fortunately we had the chance to meet someone who is trying to bring the reality and history of vegetable dyes into industrial production.

Thanks to their family tradition and a strong push towards sustainability, Marco and Andrea Clerici created Campeche, a brand of accessories all realized exclusively with natural textiles and vegetable colours, in the facilities of their own industrial mainstream dye plant.

It was 1887 when their grand grandfather established Tintoria Clerici, a dye plant specialized since its very beginnings in tussah silk. In the 1980s prompted by the expansion of the firm and the fact that most of its clients were in the Como area, the factory was transferred from Milan to Como. More recently, they took over a jacquard weaving factory specialized in ties and scarves to complete their production loop.

Today, while continuing to work for third parties, a great part of their energy is dedicated, with Campeche as their creative outlet, to product and production research, and to the study of antique and modern texts on vegetable dyes. Collaborating with their company’s internal chemical laboratory and the design team, they work on colour fastness and industrial application of vegetable dyes.
So far the result is extremely interesting and materialized in the commercial production of a line of scarves and ties in wool, flex, organic cotton and Peace silk. The research of new colours is a major commitment of the company, and Campeche strives to present at least one new dye shade each season.

Visiting them and their plant has been fascinating. It was a pleasure and special feeling to walk through a large and established factory where yarn skeins only dyed with plants, roots, seeds and berries emerged from industry sized dye tanks. At the same time is impressive to see chemists in white gowns between glass tubes and beakers testing the reaction of naturals colours to sun, skin acidity or in the washing process.

Campeche’s products are highly valuable not just because of the efforts going into sustainability, but especially for the quality of the dyeing and manufacturing processes that, combined with a refined design, turn into a real products, sold all over Europe, what long as been deemed impossible, in fashion products.
This is the tangible proof that Ethical Fashion cannot and does not have to be only a niche production, but must, can and will become part of the mainstream industry.

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Curated by Veronica Crespi from ReWardrobe, Campeche will show a selection of their newest collection in collaboration with other Italian ethical brands at the Source Expo 2011, on October 17th and 18th, Sadlers Well’s Theatre, London.