Abdus Salam said waste from nearby garment factories and dye houses have polluted the water. There are no fish now, he said. The water is so polluted that our children and grandchildren cannot have the same experience.”

- Asian rivers are turning black. And our colorful closets are to blame, CNN 2020 -
https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/dyeing-pollution-fashion-intl-hnk-dst-sept/index.html

This story was influenced by a CNN-Interview with Bangladeshe farmer, Haji Muhammad Abdus Salam, who recalls the playfull moments at the riverbanks of his childhood. A stream that has now turned pitch black from industrial dying. It no longer serves as an element of nurturing and cleansing through its waters but is the main cause for countless cancereous illnesses in the neighbouring boroughs. As he is overpowered by memory we begin to realize that all water on this planet is interconnected. A river becomes a stream, a stream will lead to an ocean, will form a cloud and it's rain will eventually make a new river ... somewhere ... and as we follow this stream of conciousness in our minds, we beginn to realize ... that "somewhere else" on a round planet ... is next to us. Earth‘s destiny is to be just that: a „blue marble“, the sole planet with WATER, from which all life has once emerged.

While black is celebrated as a symbol of elegance in the West, its origin is less glamorous. Derived from the soot of burned petroleum or recycled tires, this ‚Carbon Black‘ pigment has long dominated the dye market. But as the world becomes more conscious of its environmental impact, there‘s a pressing need to find sustainable alternatives.

In a revolutionary step, Fashion for Good launched the „Black Pigment Pilot project“ in 2022 to develop the first-ever plant-based dye from algae, challenging the notion that black cannot be naturally sourced. This season, a simple t-shirt serves as a testament to this incredible innovation and is included as a product in our story.

Other designers, like Berlin-based Designer Simone Büchner, are experimenting with alternative approaches such as charcoal dyes, and high-end brands like „WORKING TITLE“ are striving to keep their collections entirely free of plastic – from fabrics, buttons, yarns and zippers all the way to their shipping materials. They are all part of this project. Another interesting sector is the beauty market, where we can simultaneously find emerging cosmetic brands that focus on producing mineral oil-free cosmetics in black.

This initiative extends beyond fashion. Therefore this photoshoot was crafted in pursuit of the attempt by small brands to single-handedly turn things around for the better. The entire shoot is zero waste and eco-conscious, using only regional transportation, local talent, and natural light. Some images were even developed or toned using plant-based homemade solutions and paper crafted from discarded street clothing, paying homage to the ragpaper tradition exclusive to a small artisan papermill in Ahrtal/Eifel, an area devastated by climate induced floods in 2021.

This movement highlights a broader issue. Toxic black dyes are prevalent, finding their way into products like tattoos, hair dyes, computer parts, printer inks, newspapers and toys. They are now by far the most common and extremely toxic elements of fashion production and wearing. The commendable work with Algae-inks by Living Inks is just a beginning. As consumers and creators, we should dream of a PUREr fashion world and in this mindset should demand for recyclable materials to meet non-toxic colours derived from nature and even food waste.