In response to the horrors of denim production, I created a process to attempt to repent for the sins of the clothing. Using only natural products, I attempted to physically remove the toxic indigo, and replace it with a natural turmeric dye. Turmeric acts as an antioxidant and antiinflammatory, meant to counteract the harmful chemicals involved in the process.
The steps involved in attempting to revive the jeans became almost ritualistic in its quiet, repeated labor. Each step took multiple rounds include:
1. Bleaching the jeans with a mixture of lemon juice, and water overnight
2. Scrubbing the jeans with salt to further remove any dye
3. Putting the jeans in a boiling mixture of turmeric and water
4. Letting the jeans dry and then rinsing them to settle the tumeric
Unfortunately, none of it truly stuck. The jeans stayed a deep blue, and the turmeric washed out after only a few subsequent rinses. Instead, the turmeric dye seeped into my other clothes, and stained my hands and legs while wearing. I came away with a new understanding of how difficult it is to wrestle with these dyes, and in a way these issues. They take years of work to change, and progress isn't made overnight.