Roua Atelier

PRODUCTION LOCATIONS 

• The Netherlands

WORKING CONDITIONS & LIVING WAGES

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.

MATERIALS 

• Organic cotton
• Linen 

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 potentially biodegradable. 

PACKAGING 

Roua Atelier does not disclose any information about packaging materials on their website. As this brand specialises in dyeing workshops, it is unlikely that packaging is needed. 

WATER USAGE & CHEMICALS 

As Roua 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. 

CIRCULAR PRODUCT DESIGN 

All Roua Atelier creations are highly circular. Natural materials such as cotton or linen are potentially biodegradable under the right conditions, so they are less likely to create waste and 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.

CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODELS

This brand does not share any circular business models such as a repair service on their website. However, as they specialise in helping you to create your own treasured pieces, it is unlikely that a service such as this is necessary. 

DISTANCE & COMPLEXITY OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Production locations: 

• The Netherlands

Roua Atelier is based in Amsterdam, with local workshops and locally sourced ingredients from the surrounding areas, including plants from nearby gardens and parks. Paint baths are created using locally sourced vegetables, herbs, wood, and metal. 

The textiles used for dyeing are primarily sourced from Dutch manufactures, with a small portion fabric residues from Turkish factories. 

TRANSPORTATION 

Roua Atelier uses locally sourced ingredients for the dyeing workshops, reducing the length of the supply chain and the need for transportation. It is not clear from their website, however, how the textiles are transported to the Netherlands. 

This is a vegan brand.

PRODUCT DESIGN 

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!

SLOW FASHION PROCESSES 

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.

TRANSPARENCY ON PRODUCT 

On Roua Atelier’s website, they invite you to experience a workshop, and disclose which materials you will be provided with for complete transparency about what to expect. 

TRANSPARENCY ON PROCESSES 

This brand is very transparent regarding all of its processes, and we at COSH! commend them for it.