Hello, my name is Lac

A while ago, we introduced you to our core collection of classic dyes, the colors we reach for over and over again for their gorgeous hues and their ability to withstand the rigors of wear and use and time. But if you’ve been paying attention, you might have noticed that we’ve added a new dye to our much-loved palette of pomegranate and indigo and madder and weld and buckthorn and cochineal. And that newcomer is lac!

Lac rounds out the richest, warmest end of our rainbow with its saturated burgundies, cheery magentas, and plummy purples. It’s blackberry-stained fingertips in August and mulled wine over the holidays, the unbelievably velvety centers of deep crimson dahlias. And, like the rest of our dyes, it’s a color that comes from the diverse crevices of the natural world—in this case, the scale insect Laccifer lacca.

Lac insects are native to Southeast Asia, and they have been prized for centuries in the textile traditions of the region, from India and Nepal to Thailand and Indonesia. But, like many natural dyes, the color derived from these remarkable bugs isn’t immediately apparent.

As part of her lifecycle, the female lac insect will invade a host tree to lay her eggs. There, she will secrete a thick resin that builds up on the branches of the tree as a protective coating for herself and her young. The resin, called sticklac, is what contains the dyestuff we use to color our fabrics. The dye is extracted from the crushed sticklac, and we purchase it in a concentrated powder form. Interestingly enough, lac dye is only one of the valuable products made from the sticklac resin—it is the same substance used to make shellac, the hard, glossy finish commonly found on wooden boxes and furniture and a primary material in making classic 78 rpm records!

See below for just a few of the ways we’ve incorporated lac dye into our scarves, bandanas, and home goods. We feel like we’re just scratching the surface with this sumptuous natural palette!

Lac lovelies—along with a full rainbow of handmade, naturally dyed pieces—are available now through our shop :)