Beyond first bloom
Rescuing flowers that would otherwise be thrown away, Brooklyn-based Cara Marie Piazza uses them to naturally dye clothing. And the results are simply stunning.
Working with the waste from florists as well as restaurants and organic providers, Piazza creates unique textiles using natural dye sources such as botanicals, plant matter, minerals, non-toxic metals and food wastes.
“If I didn't take these flowers they would probably go in the garbage,” Piazza told The Huffington Post in an interview. “The second a flower begins to wilt, it won’t have a good shelf life for the customer, who is unfortunately concerned with the perfection of a first blooming flower.”
Ethical fashion
Concerned by the damaging effects that non-natural dyes can have on the environment, Piazza uses only natural, organic material, as well as ethically sourced, sustainable products. As well as working with designers and artists, Piazza creates her own custom pieces for private clients and even offers a service for brides, to turn their bouquets into kimonos. She also hopes to “empower people” to start using their own ethical practices by hosting regular natural dye workshops.
If you're not able to make it to one of Piazza’s workshops but fancy trying your hand at flower-dying your own clothes and fabrics, take a look at our DIY flower-dying guide.
