Talks

Pretty as a Peacock: Natural Dyes for Contemporary Fashionistas

Kathy Hattori is a textile artist deeply involved in colors from natural sources, their history and their modern day uses and applications.
Kathy has been involved with textiles since 1982 and traveled extensively to learn natural dye and textile techniques from treasured mentors. She teaches and lectures about natural dyes and has taught at Haystack Mountain School of Craft, Shakerag, and BARN on Bainbridge Island. She is the founder and president of Botanical Colors and is sought after worldwide as a speaker about the sustainable use of natural dyes in global textile production.

Rachel McHenry is an experienced designer and educator who brings exceptional depth and knowledge to the field. With over twenty years of international experience developing textiles and fashion projects in collaboration with artisan communities for both public- and private-sector clients, including international projects for the Government of Canada and UNESCO, her work focuses on inclusive and sustainable practices and community-focused design. Using her extensive experience working with natural dyes, traditional techniques, and bio-regional fibres and materials, she has developed collections with artisan communities in Haiti, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Assam and elsewhere, and is involved in ongoing investigations into natural dyes through a research project in India. Her work has been sold and shown internationally and is included in several museum collections.