Botanical Dyeing with The Go Project
“Starting a handmade business means you have to be good at a little bit of everything.”
I recently came across The Go Project while flipping through the Community Center monthly magazine and really liked the natural dye and products that founder, Natalie Thompson-Wu creates so I reached out to see if she would share with us the story behind The Go Project and how it all began! Read more below.
Curito:
Hi Natalie! Could you introduce yourself to our readers?
Natalie:
I’ve always had a love of textiles from an early age. Growing up in the English countryside, I was surrounded by Nature. I remember my mum sewing me summer dresses in the garden while telling me about my Scottish grandmother who worked as a seamstress in a castle. I kept my love of textiles throughout university and my working life, designing and sewing everything and anything I could think of. I think the things you fall in love with as a child never leave you.
Curito:
What were you doing prior to establishing The Go Project?
Natalie:
Before moving to Taiwan, I worked in London and Singapore as an Editor in the publishing industry. I was lucky to meet and interview so many interesting people but it was a busy life which left me little time for personal projects. After my first son was born, we moved to Taiwan and I focussed on taking care of my family. Slowing down gave me the chance to re-connected with my love of fabrics and design.
Curito:
What's the story behind The Go Project, what inspired you to start your own business in Taiwan?
Natalie:
We are all drawn to different colours in different ways. Whilst I loved making my own clothes and wearing something unique, I could never find fabric in the colours and shades I loved - earthy browns, olive greens, golden yellows. So I decided to make my own. I was lucky in Taipei to have Yongle Market, where I could buy unbleached natural fibers quite easily. After researching botanical dyes and many many dyeing experiments later, The Go Project came to life.
Curito:
What are some of the challenges you face creating your brand?
Natalie:
Botanical dyeing is not that well known. People generally don’t realize what goes into creating a specific colour on fabric and the many different processes involved. It takes time to make people aware of this, and how beneficial it is for their health and the environment. I find I repeat myself a lot! But it’s all worth it as usually customers are really interested and supportive.
On a personal level, starting a handmade business means you have to be good at a little bit of everything: photography, marketing, pr, sourcing materials, product design and actually making what you want to make. I don’t have a background in business so it was a challenge to develop skills I didn’t have yet. It’s easy to stick to the areas you’re good at or enjoy, like actually dyeing and making products. But not so easy to force yourself to do the things you’re weak at. I remember attending my first sales event, I was terrified!
Curito:
Could you tell us a little more about the benefits of using plant dyed products?!
Natalie:
There are so many incredible benefits on so many levels. Plant-dyes don’t contain the same harmful toxins and chemicals as synthetic dyes. This means they are gentle on your skin, especially good for babies and children. The pigments in some natural dyes such as madder and indigo have also been shown to provide UV protection.
The traditional process of slow, handmade dyeing uses less water, and eliminates the harmful waste of synthetic dyes. Being derived from natural sources also makes them sustainable and less damaging to the environment as they are 100% biodegradable.
Many dye plants also have medicinal properties. Indigo was originally used as a healing agent and insect repellent, whilst turmeric is an anti-inflammatory.
Botanical dyeing is not that well known. People generally don’t realize what goes into creating a specific colour on fabric and the many different processes involved. It takes time to make people aware of this, and how beneficial it is for their health and the environment.
Curito:
How is The Go Project different from others in the marketplace who are creating plant dyed homeware and accessories?
Natalie:
The magical thing about botanical dyes is that no two colours are ever the same. The pH of the water, how you pre-treat the fabric, the modifiers you use all produce different shades at different times. Where I live in Taipei, the water is very acidic which affects the colour. Someone in, say, London dyeing fabric with the exact same dye as me in Taipei, will get different results. So really every product will be unique in its own way. I’ve also had the opportunity to experiment with regional dye stuff such as Dyers Yam and Gardenia jasminoides. All these factors mean I can create colours unique to The Go Project. This is the beauty of botanical dyes.
Curito:
What would you say to encourage more consumers to buy plant dyed products and become better educated about this matter?
Natalie:
If you care about your health and you care about the planet, then plant dyed products are really the best choice. By understanding more about how nature can provide and care for us, we can appreciate how lucky we are to be here. If we can all try to incorporate sustainable and non-toxic products in our everyday lives, however small, we can make such a difference.
Curito:
What are some of your inspirations when it comes to creating your products?
Natalie:
Obviously Nature is a huge inspiration and I’m lucky enough to live at the foot of Yangmingshan National Park. My childhood in the countryside also instilled in me a love of the rustic, rural qualities of natural products. I really want my products to be everyday, functional items. Using natural fibers such as linen, cotton and wool, combined with plant dyes gives them a rustic, earthy feel.
I guess I’m also inspired by the more traditional processes of real handmade products. When you make something by hand from natural materials, you really appreciate every part of the process. I really admire people who can craft something for the materials around them.
Curito:
What do you hope for The Go Project to grow into in this next decade?
Natalie:
I would love to have my own dye garden and textiles school. To be able to share with people the magical processes behind plant dyeing and see them try it for themselves would be really rewarding. I’ve just started running workshops for beginners and hope to expand to more advanced levels in the future. I’ve also just started planting my own cosmos and marigolds, albeit on a very small scale. I now appreciate how hard gardening is!
Curito:
Thank you, Natalie for sharing your The Go Project journey with us and the importance of botanical and natural dye both the process and for the environment! For those interested in learning more about products made by Natalie or future workshops please follow her IG and visit her website! Curito readers can receive 15% off all products by using CURITO upon checkout! Look forward to visiting your dye garden and textile school in the near future, Natalie!
