The Beautiful Chaos of Slow Fashion: The Story Behind Our Newest Collection

Six months. That is how long we lived, breathed, and worked in India to bring our latest collection to life.

If we are being completely honest, it wasn’t easy. In a world dominated by fast fashion, choosing the slow path means choosing the hard path. As a slow fashion brand, we refuse to take shortcuts. We prioritiSe the livelihood and well-being of our workers above all else, and we refuse to compromise on the highest quality of our clothing.

We originally planned on launching this collection in March.
Then we hoped to have it here by November.
But when you refuse to mass-produce, timelines become fluid. While our custom fabric is woven mechanically to our exact specifications rather than by hand, the human element is in everything we do. We know our workers by name. We sit with them, we collaborate with them, and we stand firmly by a product that is truly organic, ethical, and rooted in community.

This is only our second manufacturing run offshore, and we are constantly learning. We are always looking to improve what we do, and when you commit to producing garments with the highest integrity, nature sometimes decides the schedule. And nature, as we learned all over again, can be beautifully fickle.

The Pursuit of Richer Colours (and Lower Toxins)

This season, we wanted to push our boundaries. We wanted richer, deeper, more vibrant colours, which meant experimenting with slightly different artisan techniques. But creating truly chemical-free clothing means working entirely at the mercy of the elements. Because we refuse to use synthetic fixatives and rely entirely on low-tox dyes, we ran into major issues with the fabric and the dyes running.

This collection introduces two incredible, deeper hues that we poured our hearts into perfecting:

• Madder Red: This breathtakingly deep red is actually derived from the exact same plant matter (Rubia) that we used to create the soft pink shade in our last collection! This time, however, the madder root was fermented for a couple of months, yielding a completely different, dramatic depth.

• Rich Indigo: A deeper, richer, and more soulful blue than our original indigo, mimicking the depth of the midnight sky.

A Note on the First Few Washes: Because these natural dyes are so richly saturated and free from harsh chemical sealants, the colour will bleed during the first couple of washes. After that, it will stop. Please be incredibly careful to wash these pieces alone or with dark colours initially. To preserve the vibrancy of the earth-born pigments, always dry your garments indoors or in the shade, away from direct sunlight.

The Science of Dark Dyes: Weight, Texture, and Fit

You might notice something unique about the feel of these garments when you first put them on. There is a fascinating reality in garment production: darker plant colours hold significantly more pigment and dye matter than lighter shades.

Because these pieces are holding so much rich, natural pigment, the fabric is literally heavier. Initially, it will also feel a bit stiffer and fractionally smaller. You actually see this across the clothing industry, if you try on the exact same style of t-shirt, the black or dark version will always feel slightly tighter and stiffer at first compared to the white or pastel version.

As you wear and wash your garment, just like a favorite pair of raw denim, the fibers will relax. The colour will begin to slowly evolve and soften, and the fit will open up beautifully. Like trees, seasons, and other natural things, the garment will change and grow with you.

 

 

Unique, Not Faulty: Garment-Dyed with Love

To achieve this level of colour saturation, we tried a new technique this time around: we dyed the garments after they had been fully sewn, rather than dyeing the fabric rolls before cutting.

Garment-dyeing gives the clothing an incredible, lived-in texture. However, because the entire piece goes into the dye bath together, it means there is some minor color transfer on the inner clothing tags. If you see a bit of indigo or madder red on your label, please know: it is unique, not faulty. It is the literal thumbprint of the artisan process—proof that your piece was meticulously crafted and dyed by hand.

This collection took much longer than expected, challenged us at every turn, and ultimately reminded us why we do what we do. We are so proud of the quality and integrity of these pieces, and we can’t wait for you to experience them.

✨ Explore the labour of love. Shop the Sthira Collection here. ✨

Thank you for choosing slow fashion, for supporting our artisans by name, and for embracing the beautiful journey of the natural world.