Heather Thomas is a Melbourne based natural dyer, designer and maker of textiles. She has been exploring the plant kingdom and working with natural fibres and plant colour for more than two decades. Heathers practice is embedded in the research and process of the extraction of natural colour. This research encompasses the cultural breath of natural colour production histories and she is particularly interested in the contemporary revival of such practices globally. Heather runs a natural dye studio and label Wild Heather that promotes this vision. She imparts her knowledge and expertise through hands on workshops using traditional natural dyes, indigo and native flora. Wild Heather has collaborated with a range of clients from artistic and artisan studios to larger fashion and fibre producers. Each brief requiring tailor-made solutions to working with natural colour.
Heather holds a Diploma of Arts (Studio Textiles and Design) RMIT, (2011) and a Degree in the Arts (Language and Culture Studies) Deakin Uni(1999). Heather was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2019 to investigate established botanical dye studios in Japan and America to see how such models may be translated locally.
Project
To increase natural dyeing expertise by investigating established botanical dye studios
Heather Thomas
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