Naturally Dyed, Deeply Lived: Inside the World of Christiana Vardakou
In her own words, Christiana Vardakou—natural dyer, textile designer, and founder of her namesake studio—shares how a chance discovery during art school sparked a lifelong devotion to plant-based colour. From Athens to Southeast Asia and back again, Christiana has built a deeply intentional practice rooted in tradition, sustainability, and storytelling—crafting textiles that carry both beauty and meaning, one petal at a time.
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I always knew I wanted to go to art school. At 18, I moved to London and enrolled in a Foundation Course in Art and Design, where I explored different disciplines before deciding on Textile Design. I loved that it allowed me to work across interiors, fashion, and fine art without having to choose just one. I wanted to keep my options open, to create without limitations.
The Spark
There were two pivotal moments that shaped my path. The first was during my Textile Design studies at Chelsea College of Arts. We had a sustainability project, and I felt completely stuck—I had no idea where to begin. At the time, I worked in a knitting shop on weekends. One day, while trying to brainstorm an idea for my project, we received a delivery of new books. One was about natural dyeing, and I started reading it on my lunch break. That night, I went home and immediately began experimenting with everything I could find—kitchen scraps, flowers, leaves from my garden. I was mesmerised by the colours, how they harmonised effortlessly, just like in nature. From that moment on, I knew I would never use synthetic dyes again.
The second defining moment happened after graduation when I traveled through Southeast Asia for four months, exploring traditional natural dyeing techniques across seven countries. I had a job offer waiting for me in London at a digital print studio, but while I was in Laos, I received an email asking if I could start earlier. That was the moment of clarity—I knew I couldn’t go back. I had seen so many beautiful studios, met artisans who worked slowly and intentionally, and fell in love with handmade processes. The idea of working in a digital print studio no longer fit the vision I had for myself. Instead, I returned to Athens and built my own studio, making my dream a reality.
Overcoming Doubts
Creatively, I’ve never doubted my path. Natural dyeing is full of surprises—you can never fully predict the outcome, and I love that. The dyes are alive, and they have their own voice. When students in my workshops think they’ve made a mistake, I tell them: there are no mistakes—just part of the design you didn’t plan for. Make it work, make it yours.
Challenges
The biggest challenges I’ve faced weren’t creative but business-related. I had no business degree and no idea how to run a small brand, especially in Greece, where independent creatives don’t always get the support they need. But working in the knitting shop in London taught me a lot. My boss was like a mentor for me (even though we both didn’t know it at the time) , and I absorbed everything I could about running a creative business.
I also learned the power of asking for help. There’s no shame in not knowing everything. I reached out to friends, family, and fellow creatives. Over time, I built a community of makers and entrepreneurs who support each other. That’s been invaluable.
Creative Process
My process always starts with materials. Natural dyeing only works on 100% natural fabrics, and from the beginning, I was determined to use Greek textiles. When I moved back to Athens, I traveled across the country searching for the best fabrics. Today, we source silk from Soufli and linen and cotton from Tripoli. While linen isn’t cultivated in Greece, at least the fabric is woven here, keeping production as local as possible.
For dye materials, I forage on weekends while hiking with my dog and friends. Over time, my friends have learned what to look for, and even when they go without me, they bring back plants for the studio. I also have a friend who collects mushrooms for restaurants—he keeps a list of the plants I use and brings me any he finds. My grandmother is in charge of onion skins—she’s befriended all the vendors at the local laiki (farmers’ market), and they collect them for her. I also work with restaurants to repurpose kitchen waste like onion skins, avocado stones, and pomegranate peels. And while I primarily use Greek plants, some dyes—like indigo and cochineal—must be sourced from abroad.
Once I have my materials, the next step is mordanting—a crucial process that ensures the dye bonds with the fabric. I use safe metals like aluminum and iron, which not only help fix the colour but can also be returned to the earth, enriching the soil in the studio’s garden.
From there, I work with various dyeing techniques:
Immersion dyeing: Boiling plants (like chamomile) to extract pigment, then submerging fabric to create solid colours.
Bundle dyeing: One of my favourite techniques. I lay fabric flat, arrange petals, roots, bark, and leaves on top, then roll it tightly and steam it. The heat takes out the plants’ natural pigments onto the fabric, creating herbal-infused prints.
Eco-printing, batik, and shibori: Other techniques I explore in the studio, each offering unique textures and patterns.
All production happens in-house, from dyeing to pattern cutting and sewing. While I design the pieces, I work with two incredible women, Violetta and Maria, who handle pattern-making and sewing. I was never great at sewing, but they bring my designs to life. We typically dye the fabric first, then sew the final garments, ensuring every piece is truly one-of-a-kind.
Marketing Strategy
My Instagram account started as a personal space. I would post my university work and later, snapshots from my travels in Southeast Asia, documenting the techniques I was learning and the pieces I was creating. That’s when I first started gaining followers.
As my audience grew, I began curating my page, removing anything unrelated to textiles. When I moved back to Athens, I shared my journey of searching for a studio space. I couldn’t afford both a flat and a studio, so my first workspace was also my home. I took my audience along for the ride—designing my first loom with my dad, learning traditional Greek weaving, finding someone to build the loom, hunting for fabric, planting flowers for dyeing, visiting exhibitions, and even adopting my dog (who quickly developed a habit of stealing my yarn and hiding behind the loom).
My following continued to grow, and with it, opportunities started coming my way. I received my first custom orders simply by showing my dyeing process. Even the buyer from the Benaki Museum discovered me through Instagram, leading to my first wholesale order.
During COVID, my audience expanded significantly. I was creating every day, answering Q&As, and sharing my work from my garden, even taking my loom outside to weave in the sun. I think people were drawn to the slow, meditative process of natural dyeing—it provided a sense of calm in uncertain times.
I haven’t changed my approach much over the years. Even though my team has grown and we have a proper studio, I still post daily—sharing behind-the-scenes moments, answering questions, showing the realities of the creative process (including the things that go wrong!), and of course, my dog’s antics in the studio.
Up until November 2024, I had no marketing strategy at all—I was simply posting what felt natural. But in November, I started working with a marketing studio to see if we could grow my online shop. We’ll see how it goes! As I always say, there’s no harm in asking for advice.
Branding Strategy
One of the first things my marketing team told me was: "Don’t let anyone else post content for you!" They noticed that my brand already felt visually cohesive, and I think that’s because everything I share comes directly from me.
The consistency in my brand comes naturally—it’s a reflection of my work, my environment, and my personal aesthetic. The colours I use are always soft, earthy, and harmonious because they come from nature. My studio is a space I’ve carefully designed to be 100% me, down to the smallest details.
Even my logo holds personal meaning. The flower in my branding is a drawing I made while studying, and it was actually the first competition I ever won for floral illustration. My brand and my studio are deeply personal—they are extensions of who I am. The clothing we create are pieces I would wear, and the homeware we make are items I would use in my own space.
I don’t follow a strict branding formula—I simply prioritise transparency. I want everything we do to be open and honest, and I think that authenticity is what makes my brand feel cohesive.
Coaching/Teaching
The main reason I teach workshops is because that’s how I learned. I love sharing knowledge and passing down traditional textile techniques to others. In my studio, I offer four different group workshops:
Introduction to Natural Dyeing – A mix of theory and hands-on practice. We use four different plants on wool, silk, and cotton, creating a total of eight colours. Students leave with a swatch book of samples to reference in their own dyeing journey.
Bundle Dyeing – Students learn how to use fresh and dried flowers to create herbal-infused prints on a silk scarf.
Batik – A resist-dyeing technique from Indonesia where students use melted wax to create patterns on fabric. Wherever the wax is applied, the fabric stays its original colour while the rest is dyed.
Shibori – A Japanese resist-dyeing technique where fabric is folded, stitched, and bound to create intricate geometric patterns.
I also offer private, more advanced natural dyeing sessions as well as weaving classes.
Advice for Aspiring Creatives wanting to get more eyes on their work
1) Use social media, post daily, share behind the scenes and share your process.
2) Do not be afraid to send your work to other creatives you admire, share your work and portfolio with journalists, stylists, curators.
3) Collaborate with other brands, artists, interior designers, architects, musicians
4) Talk about what you do with new people you meet, don’t be shy
5) When travelling, visit places where you could imagine your work in and tell them what you do and ask if maybe you can host a workshop, exhibition or pop up.
Portfolio Showcase
christianavardakou.com
Instagram: @christiana_vardakou