Nike, Stüssy and ‘ethically harvested’ plant dyes
A collaboration between Nike and American streetwear label Stüssy on the former’s Air Force 1 shoes, which will release in “limited quantities” via Stüssy’s website on January 29, has reportedly incorporated the use of “ethically harvested” and “all-natural” plant dyes.
Each pair has been “carefully hand-dyed” by Lookout & Wonderland in Los Angeles, which is described as “an art practice based in plant colour, medicine and fibre”.
New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, London and Paris (the five cities considered contemporary style capitals, according to Stüssy’s website) have each inspired a plant-dyed colourway.
The “New York” Air Force 1s have been dyed using brazilwood, quebracho rojo and hibiscus, among other ingredients, with the “Los Angeles” colourway being created through the use of Weld, fustic, Osage orange and turmeric dyes, for example.
“Tokyo” has been coloured with organic Indigofera tinctoria, “London” with organic Indigofera tinctoria, fustic and Weld and “Paris” with chestnut bark, myrobalan and iron.
Image: Niki Tsukamoto (@lookoutandwonderland) via Instagram.
