Our Mineral range is dyed with prehistoric minerals, rocks and volcanic soil

As we continue to look for new, low impact ways to dye clothing, we’ve turned to the colouring tools of early man – minerals, rocks, and soils. Garment dyeing clothing in minerals only requires heat, time and pressure to get the colour to stick, and only creates two by-products – water and sediment.

In 2011 a 73,000 year old abstract sketch was discovered in a cave in South Africa. It was made using an ochre crayon and is considered the first known drawing in human history. Thousands of years later Ancient Egyptians used yellow ochre to symbolise perfection, indestructibility and eternal life. Today we use it to colour chillout gear.

Hematite is a mineral with an amazing history. It was first used by prehistoric humans to paint cave walls 164,000 years ago. Ancient Egyptians turned to it to heal wounds. And Leonardo da Vinci painted his masterpieces with it. But its origins go back even further. 3.5 billion years ago, gram-negative bacteria called cyanobacteria released free oxygen into the ocean. This combined with iron to make hematite, which sank to the seabed to form rocks. Today we use it to dye t shirts.