Allysun West

As an eleven year old I was diagnosed with a curious disease and was given standard drugs to make me feel better. I later realized that the Western medicine I was using merely suppressed my symptoms instead of fixing the actual problem. After this realization, I started using herbal medicine which works naturally with my bodies own system to help heal itself. My work then harnesses the positive healing energies emanating from natural fibers, such as wool and linen, in combination with medicinal natural dyes. Throughout history, plants such as Calendula, Madder, Alkanet, and Indigo have been known to produce colors of yellow, red, purple and blue. Although different in nature, these plants share something essential to my practice; they all possess medicinal properties. The medicinal qualities are emitted through the active chemical compounds in the plant and then soaked into the fabric to radiate both the dye and fiber healing qualities onto the wearer. These medicinal energies are presented in the form of garments to promote a direct pathway for healing by being absorbed through the skin. Thus the healing garments act as an armor, a second skin, and create a sanctuary for the person wearing them.

In almost all of my projects, when I'm planning a look and need to source fabric I always search dharma trading products first and rarely have to look anywhere else. Everything is organic and well sourced from the linen to the cotton knit and denim to the silk organza and raw silk. I also almost always use dharma's natural dyes if I can't find what I need in my area. My go to source!