There’s a bohemian vibe in the air with multiple sightings of tiedye on the catwalk. Giving a new twist to this ancient technique of fabric dyeing, the effect of folding, marbling and pinching are being re-created. Again moving back to the dyed variations leaving the printed editions behind, the effect of over-dyeing, dip-dyeing, tinting and wrinkling are coming back on the runways. Tie and dye effects are no longer constrained to being achieved through normal dyeing methods, instead designers and job-workers are experimenting with variants like, tie-dyed sequin spread, dyed threads, on single tie and dye pattern, etc. With these new and innovative adaptations meeting quick changing demands of fashion, tie and dye will continue re-inventing itself for many seasons to come…

Tie and dye – the official print of psychedelic music and hippie stereotypes – is stepping away from its patchouli associations and suddenly looking much more fashionable, thanks to notable spring collections from Band of Outsiders, House of Holland, Tory Burch, BCBG Max Azria, Raquel Allegra and Altuzarra. While it still retains its casual roots on everything from loose-fit tees, as seen on Nicole Richie and Alessandra Ambrosio, the dyeing technique lends an interesting update to more formal pieces like those seen in the collections of Miu Miu where, from the most electric purples to the subdued blues, the patterns are reminiscent of our youth in its energy, but everything else about it has taken an elegant turn. Designers Emilio Pucci, Baja East, and Thakoon, decorated their S/S ’16 collections with standout tie and dye pieces.

With the result of different experimental dye processes, products are seen embracing this psychedelic popular 60’s print. Ready-to-wear designers, Rosie Assoulin and James Long, separately introduced their latest collections that incorporated this colourful dyeing technique in distinctive ways. After last seasons’ printed versions of dyeing techniques, this season again many different interpretations were seen of tie and dye. Depicted in the collections of designers like Emilio Pucci, the tie and dye effect was achieved through lining of varied coloured sequins in a pattern, which was in fluid design mimicking and the water colour effect. “Achieving water colour and dyeing effect is very easy in digital printing, which also enables you to create exact print every single time with an added advantage of layering the prints,” says Tajendra Chadha, Owner, JV Digital Printer.

Digitally made tie and dye design pattern can be traced with sequins or hot spangle in varied colours. This has two major plus points – one, it is an innovative way of using an embroidery technique for depicting a traditional dyeing method and second, from a distance the effect does create a tie and dye trompe l’oeil (an art technique that uses realistic imagery to create the optical illusion). Baja East had its long shirt made in printed tie and dye and as the design translated into the bottoms, the tie and dye effect was created using shining rhinestones. Sanjeev Khurana, Proprietor, P. S. Designs says, “We can easily achieve an embroidered pattern which from a distance looks like a tie and dye effect. These types of patterns would employ dyed matt sequins.”

Through another method, the marbling effect is also getting manipulated by designers, amongst other dyeing effects. Thakoon created a blue and white marbling effect with a cracking look, whereas Paco Rabanne presented a plethora of spatter inspired marble prints on dresses in tie and dye staple bright palette. Even yarn dyeing techniques are being taken as inspiration for creation of varied digital and rotary prints. J. Mendel’s collection witnessed a wide-varied of what he called as ‘Ikat-ish’ prints. A combination of jagged lines and hazy visual was created in a combination of black and white to garnish gowns, midiskirts and frocks. Yarn tie and dye effect is mostly achieved through rotary printing as the colour provides the fabric with an innate embossed look, making the printed fabric appear to be woven. Talking about mix-n-match concept, Munesh Kumar, Proprietor, Kalka Filaments informs, “We are more inclined towards developing combination prints. Be it colourful tie and dye print in cheveron patterns, smoky marbling effect with a graphic touch or ikat designs being mimicked in a flowy style.”

Apart from the above mentioned effects, another technique gaining popularity was a more simplistic one wherein designers are opting for a tie-dye variation where only a single line of dyed pattern is visible on the entire surface of solid colour. For instance, as seen on a shift dress by Narciso Rodriguez, a water colour inspired oval was superimposed onto a solid base. Mm6 By Maison Margiela, also displayed a range of trousers with only 2-inch front area indigo tie-dyed. This trend is the most easy to be translated into export orders as all solids can have accents brought on through these bright splatters. White top with pink tie-dyed hem, a black blouse with a water colour splatter printed on it or a neutral dress with tie and dye patterned embroidery done with dip-dyed yarns, are some ways tie-dye is being re-invented to suit today’s trends. Discussing about the minimal use of tie and dye, M.K. Maheshwari, Partner, Sarc Original says, “We do a lot of experimentations with tie and dyed fabrics and with a growing demand, we are also mixing dip dyeing and tinting effects with solid styles.”

On one hand we see an innovative trend coming up and on the other hand there are a set of service providers who believe that tie and dye prints can be a fad but can never become a long time trend.

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