Dealing with ethical issues by removing the use of animal leathers within the Fashion industry.
Marie Melcore is a material, textile and graphic designer. These three fields allow her to evolve in a transversal and multidisciplinary context.
By developing them through the biodesign prism, she addresses environmental issues and the relationship between living organisms and design.
Marie Melcore is a material, textile and graphic designer. These three fields allow her to evolve in a transversal and multidisciplinary context.
By developing them through the biodesign prism, she addresses environmental issues and the relationship between living organisms and design.
NATURAL DYES
Category
Textile Design
Colours | Dyeing
Carried out at
MA Biodesign
Central Saint Martins
University of the Arts London
BA Printed Textiles &
Surface Pattern Design
Leeds Arts University
DSAA Textile Design
E.S.AA.T.
Conducted with
Tutors
MA Biodesign:
Carole Collet | Course Founder
Nancy Diniz | Course Leader
Alice Taylor | Lecturer of Biology and Living Systems
Shem Johnson | Grow Lab Specialist Technician
BA Printed Textiles:
Tami Stewart | Course Leader
Caroline Pratt | Senior Lecturer
Julie Hughes | Senior Lecturer
DSAA Textile Design:
Marianne Bernecker | Course Founder-Leader
Laurent Schavey | Course Founder-Leader
Hervé Crespel | Course Founder-Leader
Solange Thiry | Senior Lecturer
Location
Leeds, London — UK
Roubaix — France
Date
2017 — 2020
Using natural dyes to remediate water pollution
The use of synthetic dyes results in vibrant and cost-effective clothing with long-lasting colors. However, these dyes also give rise to certain issues. The dyeing process consumes a significant amount of water, and not all regions possess effective water purification methods to treat the water before it is released back into the environment. Consequently, wastewater generated from textile dyeing stands as a substantial global pollutant. Furthermore, textile dyeing wastewater exerts adverse effects on aquatic plant life due to the presence of substances in many dyes that inhibit photosynthesis, the essential process through which plants derive nutrients.
In light of these concerns, our project focuses on the utilization of natural dyes to minimize environmental impact. From the mordanting process to fabric selection and the choice of colorants, our decisions are centered around sustainability. In pursuit of this goal, we embarked on experiments involving diverse dyeing techniques to minimize water usage (such as eco-printing, direct dyeing, ice dyeing, waste extraction, and solar dyeing) while simultaneously creating an array of unique shades and patterns.





















Natural dyes from greenwaste, foodwaste, mineral and organic pigments | Fabrics: linen, rPet | Format: A4, 21 cm x 29,7 cm | Design © Marie Melcore, Kit Ondaatje Rolls, Eleonora Rombolá, Carolina Kyvik Ruiz, Cassandra Quinn | Photo © Kit Ondaatje Rolls, Eleonora Rombolá | MA Biodesign, Central Saint Martins, UAL.













Natural pigments : madder, cochineal, logwood, weld | Fabrics : silk Habotai, plain bleached cotton, wool delaine | Mordants : without, iron, alum | BA Printed Textiles & Surface Pattern Design, Leeds Arts University.












Shibori | Fabrics: cotton canvas | Format: 15 cm x 20 cm | DSAA Textile Design, E.S.AA.T.













Shibori | Fabrics: cotton canvas | Format: 2 m x 40 cm | DSAA Textile Design, E.S.AA.T.










Eco-print: Cabbage leaves and prunus on viscose and on silk | Format : 1 m x 2 m