Tie Dye In The Making

At the heart of the process is Rabens Saloner’s Creative Director, Birgitte Raben. Mediating between Western thinking and Eastern expertise, she builds on over a decade of close relationships with dyers in Bali where the company has a colour atelier devoted entirely to their production.

Rabens Colour Atelier

The variety of techniques available in a dye house like this where everything is made by hand is dazzling. Trial and error are an intrinsic part of the creative process - mistakes being as important as successes when they lead to new discoveries and changes of direction.

Colour references might be a tree trunk or a sun-bleached deck chair, and unexpected shades pop up depending on whether fabrics are dried on the grass or hanging in the sun.