Becky Striepe
Textile designers Lara Cameron, Bianca van Meeuwen, and Tegan Rose run Melbourne-based Ink and Spindle. Co-owner Tegan says the three of them “came together after discovering we shared a common interest & passion for textiles, design, the handmade & the environment.”
On top of printing their own designs for sale on eco-friendly fabrics with solvent-free inks, they offer printing services for folks looking to design their own sustainable fabrics!
At Ink and Spindle, they print all of their fabric as sustainably as they can, because, as Tegan says:
…we live on a planet with finite resources and it is up to us to make ethical decisions based on that knowledge, and to ensure they are decisions that will have long term positive effects on our environment. Particularly being in the textile industry, which is well known for it’s intense levels of toxicity. Education, awareness raising and encouragement are key.
They knew from the outset that they didn’t want their company to be another in the conventional, “usually very toxic, textile industry.” In order to buck that trend and stay transparent for their cusomers, they outline their sustainable business practices on their website:
- Promoting and using organic and sustainable base cloths
- Using only water based, solvent free inks
- Minimising water wastage by using high pressure
- A separation system which helps prevent foreign particles from entering the water system
- Using recycled paper, card and envelopes
- Using biodegradable cellophane for packaging, as opposed to plastic
- Using compact fluorescent bulbs in their studio
- Recycling all office waste
- Went carbon neutral on their first birthday through the revegetation projects of Carbon Neutral
The result of their passion for the environment and eye for design is a company that produces beautiful fabrics that are healthy for the Earth to boot!
If you want to check out Ink and Spindle’s hand-printed fabrics, you can head on over to the online shop. You might also want to take a peek at the printing services that they offer.
Image Credits: All photos courtesy of Ink and Spindle. Used with permission.
What an inspiration they are. Just a pity they are so far away! I was shocked when I learned how toxic the textile industry is and can wholeheartedly identify with where they are coming from. Taking care of our eco systems has to be top priority, and will ultimately benefit all creatures great and small. Good luck!
What an inspiration they are. Just a pity they are so far away! I was shocked when I learned how toxic the textile industry is and can wholeheartedly identify with where they are coming from. Taking care of our eco systems has to be top priority, and will ultimately benefit all creatures great and small. Good luck!