Roua Atelier is based in Amsterdam, where the workshops also take place. The ingredients she uses to make paint are very locally sourced, for instance some plants come from her garden or from a nearby park. Vegetables, herbs, wood and metal can also be used to make paint baths. The fabrics that are dyed are mostly sourced from manufacturers in the Netherlands. A small part of the textiles is production leftovers from, for example, factories in Turkey.
Roua only uses natural materials in her creations. This applies to both her choice of textiles and dyes. Natural materials such as cotton and linen are easy to dye and retain their colour for a long time. These fabrics are also biodegradable. As Atelier works exclusively with natural dyes, no chemicals are used in the dyeing process, so the creations are eco-friendly and safe for people and the environment. These techniques also use less water than industrial and chemical dyeing processes and do not cause problematic water pollution.
Roua uses, among others, natural indigo, which is a well-known blue dye that is also used to dye jeans. She also makes her own dyes from rosemary, flowers, teas, herbs and even food waste such as avocado pits and onion skin.
All Roua Atelier creations are highly circular. Natural materials such as cotton or linen are biodegradable, so they do not create waste and do not harm the environment when thrown out. Roua also uses many recycled fabrics, for example from production leftovers it purchases from textile manufacturers. The fabrics are always mono material, meaning that only one material is used. This makes the pieces easier to recycle after use.
Even the dyes are sometimes made from leftover products. For example, she uses food waste to create certain colours.
The chain for this brand is limited to within Europe, mostly in the Netherlands, so we can say it is short.
This is a vegan brand.
Roua ALHalabi is a graphic artist and artist. She immerses herself in the many different, often forgotten, dyeing techniques and handmakes natural dyes for textiles. She applies this knowledge both to her own designs and to collaborations with other brands. For instance, as a company, you can commission Roua Atelier to dye your own collection. Roua will then work with you to create a unique and colourful collection. Due to the labour-intensive process and natural materials, print runs are often limited and there may be slight differences in the products. This makes each product completely unique!
She also runs workshops for children and adults. In this way, she wants to pass on long-forgotten natural dyeing techniques to others. You will learn how to make your own dye baths and how a plant can be turned into pigment or dye. You can also learn about different manual dyeing techniques, such as Shibori, a Japanese technique where you create patterns with natural indigo.
This brand is very transparent regarding all of it’s processes, we at COSH! commend them for it.
Conclusion
Are you interested in a fun colourful clothing workshop or in having a collection produced with natural dyes? Are you looking for a fun baby-shower activity or a summer workshop where children can let their creativity run wild? Then you’ve come to the right place at Roua Atelier!
