At The Citizenry, we strive to be an open book. We infuse transparency and storytelling into all we do - our work studio is completely open to customers shopping our showroom, and our site showcases the origin, materials, and makers behind every product.

In that same spirit, we’re launching a series to answer some of questions that keep coming across our inbox. Here’s the first one we’re tackling:  “How are your dyes made?”

To answer, we’re flashing back to our visit with the Women of Oaxaca to show you how they make the dyes used in some of our most iconic products: the Baya, Ceniza, and Paso pillows. Every dye is all natural, locally sourced, and from start-to-finish, done the old school way.

They start things off with gathering natural ingredients, such as flowers, sticks, and bugs (yes, bugs…), from the Oaxacan region. Next up, they combine these ingredients with water, then add a touch of ash or a dash of lime juice to transform the hues, and there you go – bold, vibrant color.  

But, enough of us just telling you about how it works, we’ll turn it over to the women so they can show you themselves. Here’s a little video for your viewing pleasure!

We hope you’ll keep the questions coming! Nothing’s off-limits here. Just send an email to hello@the-citizenry.com or message us @the_citizenry, and we’ll answer your questions the best we can. Who knows? Maybe we’ll even make a video for you!