Outdoor brand Kathmandu has partnered with textile chemicals specialist Archroma on its latest capsule collection, using the company’s patented plant-based dyes, which are sourced from up to 100% renewable resources.
The collaboration, which is the first between the two companies, sees Kathmandu use Archroma’s EarthColors dyestuff range – a new method of creating warm ternary shades from nature – to help create a line of the brand’s signature hoodie, creating what it calls a “vintage casual” look.
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The high-performance dyes, which have also been used by US outdoor clothing giant Patagonia, are sourced from up to 100% renewable resources including the natural waste products of the agriculture and herbal industries, such as almond shells and rosemary leaves, replacing the oil-based raw materials typically used in dyestuff manufacture. The colours, available in a range of six dyes, change and fade over time, which is part of what makes these dyes unique.
In terms of the Kathmandu hoodies, the colours – which include slate blue, burnt olive and burlwood roes – are made from the non-edible parts of nutshells, almond shells, rosemary, saw palmetto, bitter orange and beetroot, left over from agriculture industry or herbal extraction.
“We have been using recycled materials for over 20 years and we are constantly looking for new technologies to develop more sustainable outdoor gear,” explains Manu Rastogi, textile R&D and responsible materials manager for Kathmandu. “Dyeing techniques using plants have been around for centuries, but they require adding huge amounts of mordants and fixatives, which could lead to water pollution. They also tend to have poor light and wash fastness which is undesirable for the consumer and does not promote article longevity.
“So when we heard about Archroma’s EarthColors, we were immediately excited by what is probably the first technology allowing colours to be synthesized from plants rather than petroleum while keeping similar performance.”
Earlier this year, Archroma’s EarthColors dyestuff range was named the Gold winner in the sustainable innovations category at the OutDoor Industry Award 2017.
Archroma sustainable dyes receive industry recognition
The new Kathmandu collection of signature hoodies is available online now.
