A natural dye studio blog talking about - Art + fashion using natural dye + botanical colour.
From the studio No.41
The Serpentine Gallery Summer Party is THE event on the art calendar.
Photographer and film maker Mark Lebon, known for his boundary breaking fashion photography in the 1980's and 90's, wears a commissioned SARAH POLAND kilt to the Serpentine Gallery Summer Party 2025.
The Serpentine Gallery Summer Party is THE event on the art calendar.
Photographer and film maker Mark Lebon, known for his boundary breaking fashion photography in the 1980's and 90's, wears a commissioned SARAH POLAND kilt to the Serpentine Gallery Summer Party 2025.
I met Mark originally back in 1998 when I was a stylist's assistant on a fashion shoot for iD magazine. We shot at Marks's super cool West London studio.
I met up with him again last year and gave a gift of a natural dyed piece of artwork. He commissioned me to make it into a kilt, non-conforming and deconstructed of course, I painted it, natural dyed it, made sock flashes and a kilt pin badge using off-cuts and thread-ends. He wore it this summer to both the opening event of Serpentine Gallery Summer Party AND Graces Mews Gallery launch (founded by his son, photographer Tyrone Lebon) in South London .
I’ve got an exciting collaboration happening with Mark too.
All will be revealed in time…
My best,
Sarah x
From the studio No.40
A SHORT INTRODUCTORY VIDEO ABOUT MY JOURNEY TO START A NATURAL DYED, LIMITED EDITION, UK MADE CLOTHING BRAND, PLUS A DIP INTO THE REGENERATIVE DYE GARDEN.
The why and what SARAH POLAND Art | Fashion is about and stands for as a clothing brand with sustainability and ethics at its core, with zero waste, circular design principles.
A SHORT INTRODUCTORY VIDEO ABOUT SARAH POLAND, A NATURAL DYED, LIMITED EDITION, UK MADE CLOTHING BRAND.
PLUS A DIP INTO THE REGENERATIVE DYE GARDEN.
The why and what SARAH POLAND Art | Fashion is about and what it stands for as a clothing brand with sustainability and ethics at its core, with zero waste, circular design principles.
It takes time to refine and articulate what a brand is about.
From looking after the soil and the people who tend it, to growing crops for textiles, to natural dyeing with no toxic waste, ethically manufacturing in the UK, to the wearer and the life of the garment with the possibility reinvigorate by offering a repair and re-dye service, to its end-of-life composted back into the soil to support healthy new growth.
Circular design.
Zero waste.
Non toxic.
No over production.
Hand crafted.
Made with care and quality in the UK.
Chic, wearable, fashion conscious natural dyed clothing.
See also:
Thank you for following my journey,
My best,
Sarah x
From the studio No.38
In the studio, this year for me is all about getting out there - gaining visibility, collaboration and well, just keeping on keeping on.
This month and probably next month too, will be a creative time. For many years I’ve wanted to create my own wardrobe, wear mostly my own designs.
You could call it a capsule collection, perhaps a mini collection, I’m just going to call it a wardrobe for now.
In the studio, this year for me is all about getting out there - gaining visibility, collaboration and well, just keeping on keeping on.
This month and probably next month too, will be a creative time. For many years I’ve wanted to create my own wardrobe, wear mostly my own designs.
You could call it a capsule collection, perhaps a mini collection, I’m just going to call it a wardrobe for now.
I’ve been working on the website this month too and have added a new page WHAT IS NATURAL DYE.
So if you’d like to know more about what they are, where they come from, a little history and some images of the plants, dye extracts and natural dyed cloth, click the link.
My mission this year is to get better at creating blogs and write about the wonderful qualities and beauty of natural dyes - it’s all about visibility and letting people know what I’m up to.
But for now, here’s a bit of fun with some contact sheets. I tried each jacket on…on top of the other, size 8 to 16…I couldn’t quite fit the 16 on too!
The background painting was made during an artist residency at G.S. Artists in 2019. Made using oak gall ink on raw cotton canvas, 3x4m, painted with a soft house broom and a child’s broom.
During the residency my 1.5 year old daughter would often join me, and I would put inks on her tricycle to make her own paintings, and create mine with her BRRM BRRMING around.
Perhaps they were mother and daughter brooms too?
My best,
Sarah x