How To Tie Dye:

I have been interested in tie dye since I was a teen many years ago. My friend Patrick’s sister Candy is an unconventional conventionist hippie type who would dye the most wonderful bolts of fabric and then stitch them into halters, sun dresses, scarves, hats, pants, etc. On the fourth of July one year she dyed a men's dress shirt red white and blue for me and people stopped me in the streets to ask where I got it. I would point Candy out to them and then she would take orders and measurements.

Years later I asked her for her secrets. I couldn't stand what passed for tie dye in those or even these days, it’s just so loud and ugly and obnoxious. Her stuff was subtle, alluring and original. I had to know her secret. She went to her studio and came back with a pamphlet entitled, “How To Tie Dye...As seen in Look.”

It was like the tie dye bible. Starring on the cover and the following photo spread was none other than my favorite hot tempered Nicaraguan beauty, Barbara Carrera, modeling some of the most vividly dyed clothing in the world. Inside I discovered that a couple, Will and Eileen Richardson, were responsible for this look and whose work can be found in the collection of the Cooper-Hewitt museum. They have also won a Coty American Fashion Critic’s Award, a Vogue American Fabric Award, as well as working with RIT on experimental tie dying. They were commissioned to create dyed velvets for Halston which were fashioned into stylish boots by Herbert Levine.

So now friends I pass the heavy torch to you, the true secrets of tie dye. Use them well. I’m stingy and I'm lazy so I will parcel out the designs and instructions sporadically as I get around to scanning the pages. The shopping list below should be enough to keep you busy for a while.

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