January 2020 Edition Apparel January 2020 issue | Page 43

FEATURE
NATURAL DYES
Laotian textiles stand out for their colours that
owe their beauty to natural dyes. Apart from their
beauty, colours also have traditional or cultural
meaning. A variety of elements from nature,
especially parts of plants (roots, bark, leaves,
flowers, fruits, seeds, and insect wax) are used for
colouring yarns; and mordants (such as alum, ash
water, iron, and limestone) are used to fix colours.
Among the natural elements used for colouring
are fresh leaves and stems of indigo (for different
shades of blue), bark and fruit of ebony (for grey
and black), turmeric root (for bright yellow and
orange), fresh leaves of lemongrass (for yellow),
and fresh leaves and bark of the teak tree (for
pinkish grey and cream).
Some craft centres/stores offer information
and workshops on the use of natural dyes and
many have exquisite garments that are designed
using fabrics woven with natural dyes, which
are an inspiration to designers. Among the latter
is Madame Boupha, located on Sisavangvong
Road, which has a collection of exquisite
THE TEXTILE HERITAGE
Laos is home to a large number of ethnic groups,
each of which has its distinct identity and this is
manifest in the wonderful spectrum of handwoven
textiles, attire, and accessories
that open up a world of design expressions.
Women have a repertoire of traditionally woven
textiles and wear the sinh—a skirt, and this has
kept alive the practice of handweaving textiles
with traditional motifs and patterns that bear
ethnic significance.
Among the traditional motifs are the naga
(the water serpent), siho (the half-lion and half-
elephant), the hong (bird), elephant, frog, crab,
and birds, each with a specific meaning in the
local culture. Of the weaving techniques, the
supplementary discontinuous weft technique (for
creating intricate motifs and elaborate patterns of
a fine weave) and patterned ikats truly reflect the
skills of Laotian weavers.
Sericulture has long been a practice in Laos
and this has led to the creation of an array of
textiles for garments with yarns coloured using
natural dyes. The practice includes rearing
silkworms on mulberry trees, processing
cocoons, spinning the yarns, colouring the yarns
with natural dyes, and handweaving fabrics.
These skills have been passed down generations
and are appreciated by textile lovers and
designers alike.
THE SUPPLEMENTARY
DISCONTINUOUS WEFT
TECHNIQUE AND PATTERNED
IKATS TRULY REFLECT THE
SKILLS OF LAOTIAN WEAVERS.
travellers. Given the range of handmade crafts
and textiles in the town, the Luang Prabang
Handicraft Association suggests looking
for products with the ‘Handmade in Luang
Prabang’ sticker to find locally produced
authentic handicrafts.
APPAREL
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January 2020
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