69 COMPANY PROFILE DekelDyes +972 (0)525 410 033 www.suzannedekel.com Talk us through the current products you’re particularly excited about. Do you have a favourite? Oooh can I only pick one? Then it must be the latest addition to the handwoven fabric family! It’s a handspun cotton weft on a mulberry warp, and this creates the most delicious fabric that has a bit of shine but is also rustic. I love it so much that I dyed four meters of it and had a beautiful dress made for a red-carpet event of the movie ‘Let them be Naked’ a documentary exposing the harm done by industrial textile practices today. Hobby & crafts have boomed over the last two years! Have you noticed any new trends? Absolutely! Natural dyes are booming. People really enjoy crafting their own clothes and going back to old traditions. I think the yearning to the ‘good old times’ in combination with a wish for a more ecofriendly and sustainable lifestyle has been tangible. But then again, it’s all I do and talk about every day, so I’m probably biased. How would you advise a retailer who is interested in stocking your products? You really need to know how to work with natural dyes and how to educate your clients. I’d highly recommend making some kind of starter set and organising a small workshop to reel people in. It’s a very addictive craft once they get their hands dirty and return customers are guaranteed. What sets you apart from your competitors? My research never ends, and I share that knowledge through my blogs. I’m keen to build a community around natural dye crafts which has resulted in many community projects and a Facebook group of 20,000 participants. Do you visit any trade shows? Do you plan to visit any soon? I’m currently traveling a lot to research natural dyes in local settings like Indonesia, Mexico, and India, that leaves me no time for any trade shows, but I keep my options open. What are you looking forward to most over the next year? More of everything! I get to meet so many amazing artisans. I also hope to finish writing a book about natural dyeing. What new products can we expect from you in the future? God willing, there will be many more handwoven fabrics to share with the world, they deserve to be up front and centre, for every crafter.
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