Denimcratic and Rit Dye Ready to Make a Splash for Earth Day

Rosemary Feitelberg
·2 min read

DYE — DON’T BUY: In honor of Earth Day, the sustainable label Denimcratic and the fabric dye brand Rit have joined forces to create a capsule collection.

The collaboration is meant to celebrate the upsides of sustainability. Refreshing four shirts with dyeing rather than buying new ones could reduce CO2 emissions significantly, according to a recent study by Hult International Business School.

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Slated to be released on April 22 on Denimcratic’s site, the collection features recycled items that were hand-dyed with nontoxic Rit products. Shoppers will find an assortment of tie-dyed repurposed denim and knitwear in the lineup. As a precursor to the launch, a muscle T-shirt imprinted with “Save Mom” will be available starting April 6.

Denimcratic’s designer Gabriella Meyer and Rit’s creative director Jonathan Spagat both were born in and grew up in Chicago. They have weathered the pandemic by staying in the city. After connecting through mutual friends, they shared an appreciation for each other’s commitment to sustainable fashion. While Rit does not design apparel, it encouraged the reuse of garments by sprucing them up with new dyes. Meyer worked with Rit’s in-house dye team to collaborate on techniques and custom color options during socially distanced meet-ups. They also made a point of keeping the production for the capsule collection local to reduce carbon emissions.

Started in 2017, Denimcratic has been driven by Meyer’s reimagining how garment construction and collections are produced. Meanwhile, the more than 100-year-old Rit brand helped to fuel the tie-dye trend of the 1960s and is now playing up the benefits of upcycling.

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