Colour is not just colour. It’s chemistry, politics, survival.

The fashion industry runs on petrochemical dyes—cheap, uniform, toxic. They coat the skin in synthetic residues, pollute rivers, and poison workers. There are no safe dyes for polyester. (the most widely used fibre and made from petro-chemicals). Even ‘organic’ fabrics are often dyed with industrial chemicals. Most people don’t question it. I did.

I tested alternatives—so-called ‘non-toxic’ synthetic dyes with GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified chemical processes. The results were flat, similar to regular synthetic dyes, and they didn’t sit right with me. The colours sat lifeless on the fabric, synthetic in every sense. The industry’s version of ‘clean’ still felt compromised.

I've questioned the process of natural dyes, it's viability, it's durability, it's cost and sustainability. So I went deeper. Natural dyes are not a trend, not nostalgia. They are radical. They breathe, shift, and evolve. The colours hold a depth synthetics can’t replicate—because they’re real. Wear them, and you feel the difference. Skin recognises what’s safe.

Most dyes on the market contain carcinogens, neurotoxins, endocrine disruptors, and they're in the thousands. Have you noticed the acrid smell of a new garment? It's a telltale. And the toxins aren't just used in cheap fast fashion, the luxury end aren't so clean either. Natural dyes don’t contain these toxins and many are antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and healing. This isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about integrity.

Dyeing naturally is not speedy. It’s not easy. It requires an entirely different mindset—one that respects material, process, and time. But there is no compromise here. No shortcuts. This is how colour is meant to be worn. Each garment carries a predominant colour, but natural dyes reveal a spectrum within a single plant, creating a rich, luminous depth on the fabric. Subtle variations and irregularities are inherent to this process—beautiful reminders of nature’s hand at work.

SARAH POLAND uses organically and regeneratively grown, locally foraged and GOTS organic certified plant dye extracts to dye natural fibre fabrics, to make beautiful, premium, well designed clothing. All fabrics are carefully sourced and are responsible, sustainable and ethical, non toxic to wearer and environment.

So let me tell you why I use natural dye…

Images above show from left to right: woad seedlings and woad harvest (blues) and cloth dyed with indigo extract.

There are myriad reasons to embrace natural dyes; not only do they lend beauty to clothing, but they also prioritise your health and well-being. Colours derived from dye plants have a natural beauty with colours harmonising effortlessly with one another, and over time, with careful washing, they gracefully fade, adding a unique charm to the cloth. When you adjust your eye away from hard chemical colours, they become easy to spot and have their own sort of inherent sparkle. The rich palette of colours and unique variations cannot be replicated with synthetic dyes.

Images above show from left to right: Madder plants (pinks, oranges and reds), Fabric soaked and ready to dye, Madder root dye bath.

Using natural dyes extracted from plants can actually have therapeutic benefits for the wearer. This offers a holistic approach to fashion combining wellness as well as sustainability.

Images above show from left to right: Weld seedlings and harvested weld plants (citrus yellow), weld dyed cloth.

the process - Growing and foraging for colour

I source my dyes from plants—organically grown, regeneratively cultivated, or responsibly foraged. Woad seedlings yield blues; madder plants provide pinks, oranges, and reds; weld offers citrus yellows. Akin to an artist, I broaden the colour palette by mixing pigments together. Each plant imparts its own character, its own story.

In my West Wales studio, I oversee every step. Fabrics are carefully selected for their quality and sustainability. The dyeing process is meticulous, respecting traditional methods while embracing innovation. The result: clothing that is ethical, sustainable, and non-toxic to both wearer and environment.

I have been harvesting dye plants since 2010, and since moving to my plot of land in West Wales in 2017, I planted a regenerative edible forest and am establishing a regeneratively grown dye garden. Organic practices are a method of cultivation and adding regenerative practice,s naturally puts more into the soil than is taken out.

Beyond Aesthetics

This isn't just about creating beautiful garments. It's about challenging an industry built on exploitation and pollution. It's about offering an alternative that respects both people and planet. It's about redefining luxury as something that doesn't cost the earth.

By choosing natural dyes, you're not just wearing a piece of clothing. You're wearing a statement—a commitment to authenticity, sustainability, and well-being. You're embracing a process that honours tradition while forging a path forward.

Join the Movement

Natural dyeing is more than a technique; it's a movement. A rebellion against the disposable, the harmful, the soulless. It's a return to something real, something meaningful.

Join me in this journey. Feel the difference. Wear the revolution.

The Toxic Truth About Your Clothes

Recently, I read Alden Wicker’s To Dye For: How Toxic Fashion Is Making Us Sick – And How We Can Fight Back. It’s both an essential and deeply unsettling read—an exposé of the hidden cost of synthetic dyes, largely unregulated and derived from fossil fuels, seeping into our bodies and the environment. This isn’t the story fashion brands want you to hear. It’s the reality most would rather ignore. But once you know, you know.

To quote a synopsis:

"Many of us are aware of the ethical minefield that is fast fashion: the dodgy labour practices, the lax environmental standards, and the mountains of waste piling up on the shores of developing countries. But have you stopped to consider the dangerous effects your clothes are having on your own health? Award-winning journalist Alden Wicker breaks open a story hiding in plain sight: the unregulated toxic chemicals that are likely in your wardrobe right now, how they’re harming you, and what you can do about it.

In To Dye For, Wicker reveals how clothing manufacturers have successfully swept consumers’ concerns under the rug for more than 150 years, and why synthetic fashion and dyes made from fossil fuels are so deeply intertwined with the rise of autoimmune disease, infertility, asthma, eczema, and more. In fact, there’s little to no regulation of the clothes and textiles we wear each day—from uniforms to fast fashion, outdoor gear, and even the face masks that have become ubiquitous in recent years. Wicker explains how we got here, what the stakes are, and what all of us can do in the fight for a safe and healthy wardrobe for all."

If you want to understand why natural dyes matter—not just aesthetically, but for health and survival—this book lays it bare.

Click here to Learn More About Natural Dyes

Image from left to right: Tansy (yellow), A stack of natural dyed fabrics in the studio, Peach leaf dyed canvas.

Ready to Wear the Difference?

Fashion shouldn’t cost the earth—nor your health. Natural dyes are more than an aesthetic choice; they’re a commitment to integrity, sustainability, and well-being.

Explore the collection. Feel the difference. Join the movement.

Shop Naturally Dyed Clothing

Carefully sourced, beautifully crafted, and made to be worn with confidence.

Each piece carries a story—from soil to cloth, from designer to maker, to you. These garments are designed to be lived in, to be treasured, and to reflect a way of dressing that values both beauty and responsibility.