SHIROKARA, natural and local coloring
in France
Beautiful colors were obtained from materials that would otherwise be thrown away or from plants considered weeds. These products respect the environment and our health. Vegetable dyes have many advantages: UV protection, antibacterial and antiseptic action, prevention of skin diseases
Brand: SHIROKARA
Our dyer branddiffers from other brands by the use of local plants, which avoids using dye plants imported from abroad, for example logwood.
Historically, fungicidal and mothproof effects have been recognized in Japan and other countries,we are also interested in the various effects of plant dyes.
As far as possible, we try to use raw materialssustainable cottons, organic cottons.
We want to offer environmentally friendly and safe products to children and families at accessible prices.
Origin of the brand name
In Japanese, Shirokara means " from white".
This word suitable name for a dyer's brand : everything starts with a white product.
Brand logo
Inspired by the silhouette of the MURASAKI flower, a precious Japanese dye plant, this logo uses the kanji character: 从白 meaning " form white ".
Designer / Founder
Machiko Saito,
Colorist Designer, Japanese, with a professional experience of ten years and working in a global and luxury brand, my favorite field is the color design of expertise, the strategic combination of materials, colors and styles.
Graduated from a MASTER Design course Creation research and innovation in color and material at the University of Toulouse - Jean Jaurès, and Institut Supérieur Couleur Image Design - University Center.
In recent years I have studied regional colors from local plants
(Montauban, Île-de-France) and made many color charts. After writing a thesis "From the extraction of colors to the new tinctorial possibilities of European and Japanese plants - Colorist-designer approach", my desire was to use and market local plants for dyeing as well as reactivating the plants that are around us.
I conducted research on theLithospermum erythrorhizonSieb.and Zucc. : Murasaki which is a medicinal and dye species, in order to make them known to the world and that they can be protected in the future, leading to revalorization of this dye in the industry.
Subsequently, I developed a range of Murasaki products: incense and perfumes and nail polishes that combine the colors, aromas and medicinal benefits of the plants used.
INTERNSHIP: world of vegetable dyeing
- Creation of a range of colors for the
mohair products
- Organization of a vegetable dyeing workshop
- Manufacture of lacquered pigments based on natural dyes
- Assistance in the development of new colors
- Assistance in the creation of interior products using Indigo
- Improvement of Katazome techniques, by this traditional Japanese technique
- Creation of a plan on the cultivation of plants dyeing
- Realization of a new range of colors of mohair by vegetable dyeing
- Cultivation of dye plants,
- Application of vegetable dyes on the wools.