“SHADES OF BLUE” CONVERSATIONS, THE 123 FRUCTOSE VAT WITH MICHEL GARCIA, An “opportunistic” vat

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Michel Garcia a French Natural dyer has a reputation that precedes him when it comes to Indigo dyeing. Who has not heard about the Organic Fructose Vat 123? as simple as any children rhythm as intricate as the most intricate chemistry formula.

He is seen as such a reference when it comes to botanical knowledge that just casually mentioning you have been formed by him gives you a “certificate of excellence” and yet he is a simple man, but one that has achieved grand things by thinking slowly and logically to problem solve.  

When I asked him about himself, he confided that for years he understood that “together we make great things” way better than he would be able to achieve on his own. This resonated with me… It is the very reason I started “The True Colour of the Cotinus” project. 100 people testing a variable is better than you testing 100 times…

For that reason, in 1998 he founded “Colour Garance” An association to push the practical research about Natural colour, in the South of France. Bringing together a group of keen people with different background skills to build knowledge about colour coming from plants. Still despite the large number of people involved he was the driving force behind the organisations and Indigo proved the colour that generated the most interest and questions, and I can believe this.

In those days what I commonly call “The Hydro vat” was used commonly by many to make up dye pots with good results but also health hazards and risks of accidents due to the instable nature of the reducing agent, Sodium dithionite. Michel believed there had to be an alternative other than the lengthy and difficult process of using fermentation to create a dye vat.

He told me about the collection of Moroccan carpets from his uncle, the uniqueness of their naturally dyed yarn. The record of the dyes used for creating them by local dyers, the discovery of the Henna, fig and date vats used for the wool in Northern Africa, their sustainable aspect and his own reflexion gradually building up on how to create a local sustainable, easy vat… a vat as simple as 123.

Yoshido Wada was the one asking “how much” when filming Michel for educational content for a DVD, during an International Shibori Symposium in Paris. And the recipe was eventually formulated. The recipe we follow today, the recipe that is used by thousands of dyers all over the world to make simple vats…

Later though he decided to focus less on the “how to”, to take a more scientific approach and explain “Why does it work?”. Today his work is focusing on this aspect of Natural Dyeing and I always think of him as this incredable gifted “Mad scientist” who has so much understanding of behind the scenes. It fascinates me.

That is why I asked him… “Why”