A Brief History of Tie Dye

     Tie dye is an art form that began far before the hippie generation. It first started in the eastern hemisphere in India using a technique known as Bandhani, formed by tying small circles of fabric and dipping them in the dye, creating small dots.
      Shabori is a Japanese tie dye technique that is very similar to modern tie dye. Indigo was the primary pigment used for shabori, and silk and hemp were the primary fabrics used. Africans also had a similar method for tying and dyeing fabric.
     In the early 1960's, Rit dye company was trying new ways to market their dye, as the business began to decline. A marketing agent in Greenwich Village by the name of Don Price searched for artists to create unique tie dye pieces for his campaign. He discovered two artists by the names of Eileen and Will Richardson, who were retired, and requested that they experiment with different tie dye techniques to present to designers.
      Fashion designers and magazine editors printed some of the designs, and a famous designer named Halston spread the designs to stars, such as Janis Joplin, helping to popularize tie dye. Eventually, the youth of the day began creating their own designs and mimicing those of their idols, helping to make tie dye a trademark of hippie culture.