When choosing to rock tie-dye, you wouldn’t be wrong in thinking it’s a look best reserved for the festival season or that 60s themed birthday party you’ve been invited to. But, that’s all about to change as we head into spring 2019 

Designers such as Stella McCartney, Gucci and Prada all brought psychedelic patterns to the runway leading the way for a renaissance which has seen stars from Beyoncé to Bieber donning bold blotted prints. 

And to help savvy fashionistas stay on trend, British brand, DYLON Dyes, has created a simple step-by-step guide on how to get-the-look at home for just £7 and in as little as just two hours. Using a lesser-known technique called ice-dyeing, here’s how you can transform glum garments into this year’s hottest trend…

You’ll need:

  • DYLON Hand Dyes – we recommend using more than one colour
  • An old (or new) white cotton or linen shirt –  it needs to be clean
  • 250g of ordinary salt
  • Glass measuring jug
  • Large rubber bands
  • Rubber gloves
  • Plastic bottle
Step 1 
Wet the clean shirt, squeeze out any excess water and leave damp
Step 2
Bind sections of the shirt tightly with rubber bands – the areas of the hirt protected by bands will escape being dyed and create the pattern
Step 3 
Wearing rubber gloves, dissolve the dye in 500ml of warm water in the measuring jug, mix in 250g (4tbsp) of salt and stir well
Step 4
Pour the mixture into a plastic bottle to enable easy application of the dye to the shirt

Repeat steps 3 and 4 if you’re adding additional colours. We recommend that you pick shades of fabric dye that go well together, e.g. shades within the same colour family – like Vintage Blue and Navy Blue – or different colours that complement each other – like Intense Violet and Passion Pink

Step 5
Rinse the measuring jug and rest the bound shirt in it
Step 6

Carefully pour the dye mixture onto the shirt to create the desired look

Step 7
Leave shirt to sit for a minimum of one hour to allow the dye to seep into fabric

Purchase a range of DYLON Dyes here. Also, have a look at ICE DYEING.  

LUXlife Review
Great to create the classic block colour tie-dye look. This Technique can be used with one or more colours, starting off with a plain white t-shirt (preferably made from cotton or linen) dampen the shirt and roll and bind the sections of the shirt tightly with rubber bands. To make the dye, dissolve the sachet contents in warm water and add salt. Over a bucket pour the dye over the bound shirt to create the desired look and leave the shirt to sit for at least an hour for the dye to seep into the fabric. Once complete rinse in cold water until the water runs clear untie the elastic bands and wash in warm water, and then leave to dry. A fun technique to do with friends or children and probably the one we all remember from childhood. It’s the folds and ties that create the patterns, and as such they afford you the creativity to be as bold and wild as you like. The process is incredibly exciting as the finished look is only revealed at the end once the elastic bands are off.
Amber Clews
Awards Designer & Production Co-Ordinator