We recently connected with Amanda Temple and have shared our conversation below.

Amanda, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

Living on a small island, surrounded by a vast ocean, Bermuda is an epicenter for awareness of the effects that pollution and global warming are having on the planet. In the last decade, there has been a noticeable increase in plastic debris washing up on our shores. The result is fish, birds, and turtles are dying from bellies full of garbage. Every time we visit the beach, we gather as much as we can carry from our pink sands. Yet it is not enough; the plastic keeps coming. It is not just the increasing pollution we have noticed. As teens, we would have hurricane parties and it was all fun and games. But a couple of decades later, the ever-intensifying storms are more and more frequent and cause unimaginable damage, not just on our island, but to anywhere that falls in a super storm’s path.

We have been eco warriors for over 20 years and are always looking for ways to make a difference. We hang our laundry in the sun, compost, keep chickens, have tiny home gardens, keep reusable bags on hand for all purchases (not just groceries) and make an effort to support companies that are working towards an ethical and sustainable future.

When we started Indigo Song in 2017, our goal was to create beautiful, wearable memories of our island, but as soon as we began the process, we learned so much about the impact fast fashion has on the earth and knew that we wanted to create a brand that was taking every possible step to protect the environment. We also wanted to ensure that the people working with us are treated fairly and that the dyes used are non-toxic for both the makers and the wearers.

We did not realise what a challenge this would be. We visited fabric fairs and were heartbroken to find that of the thousands of options, only about 4-5% were remotely eco-friendly, and of those, some were actually greenwashing. As such, we have spent hundreds of hours researching to source fabrics that are made of natural fibers that are healthier and more breathable to wear, will not pollute waterways when laundered, and when the time comes, they will biodegrade.

We were lucky to finally find a company that digitally prints to reduce waste and avoids harmful chemicals. The eco inks used are plant-based, 100% biodegradable and non-toxic. The machine uses no water and is designed to recycle unused ink and to conserve energy.

We then found a small women-owned factory in the heart of New York’s Garment District. We have worked with them since the beginning, visit them regularly, and are extremely grateful for their dedication to creating beautiful, well-made clothing.

Although this way of doing business is far more expensive, it is less costly for our future, and this is where we feel investment should be made.

Amanda, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My sister, Sacha and I are photographers and for over twenty years we have enjoyed creating beautiful memories for our clients. Shooting in the summer heat has become more difficult with age so we were searching for another creative outlet that would not be so physically strenuous. In June 2017, I had a stall at a weekly street festival to promote my photography book – Tapestry of Tales. One evening, my sister, Sacha stopped by to visit with her daughter, Indigo, who was wearing her favourite frock – a souvenir dress from London, that reminded them of their wonderful family holiday. I was admiring the dress, and mused how I wished there were more dresses with stories on them. At the same time, Sacha was watching all the bustling stalls with local artists selling their wares, and shared that she longed to create something special that tourists would love to take home. The next day, Sacha had visions of beautiful dresses with Bermuda stories illustrated around their hems to remind the wearers of their time on this magical island. Whether it was the sites they visited, the lush flora that charmed them, or perhaps the mesmerizing palms, or the ocean with its myriad of blues, each memory would be there for the taking. Sacha and I set out to create a line of resort wear to be an extension of that wonderful saying – “Take only photos, leave only footprints.” But unlike the photos they leave at home on a shelf or in an album, Indigo Song would be a collection of beautiful pieces to be wearable memories.

At first, we thought we would commission the artwork, and had imagined complex scenes, but upon meeting with a few designers in New York, the quotes were out of reach for our fledgling business. We decided to try creating the artwork ourselves. It was not easy! Although we were accomplished photographers and understood what was needed to make a beautiful image, painting was a new medium. We knew we wanted to use watercolors, but neither of us had ever used them before. The learning curve was pretty steep! But thanks to the vast array of incredibly talented artists and tutorials available online we managed to learn reasonably quickly. With a vast amount of practice, it is amazing how much we improved. We loathed our initial paintings, but were pleased with our final artwork, and felt proud of the journey. We are now grateful for the initial disappointment of not being able to afford professional artists.

The next challenge was the dress designs. We had grand plans for all sorts of elaborate pieces, but we had not realised how complicated the process would be from concept to final creation. The fit on our initial designs was just not right; it took ages and after many samples we were still not satisfied. We decided to launch with a collection of sarongs and cushion covers that would enable us to slowly build up our brand. We started with seven sarong designs, and now have over 30. We finally managed to perfect some beautiful dress designs that are versatile and can be worn back to front. We have also added dozens of skirts, tops, scarves, and lots of adorable dresses for children.
In our research, we found that so many summer dresses are made using synthetic fabrics or are lined. With Bermuda’s intense summer heat and humidity, this is not practical or comfortable. Our clothing is made from natural fibers, which feel divine on the skin. We have sourced fabrics made with bamboo, organic cotton, silk, and this summer’s collection features pieces made with linen and lyocell. They are all GOTS certified and printed by Carriage House Printery in Ohio.

We have just opened a boutique and gallery in the heart of Hamilton, which is Bermuda’s capital.
We have been searching for a retail space for over two years, and although we had a pop-up shop last summer, we feel this space is Indigo Song’s new home. We have had a website for years, but it is far better for people to be able to visit in person, to feel the heavenly fabrics and to try on the pieces. We have also gathered a wonderful group of local artists and designers with the same ecological ethos to display their work alongside our collection.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

We understand the ease of shopping online, and the desire to be price conscious, but ordering everything on Amazon is not great for the environment, or for local communities. Although we have only been open for a short time, everyone that pops into the shop is incredibly complimentary about our space and how happy they are to find somewhere supporting local artisans, and offering environmentally friendly and non-toxic options. We are planning to host openings and occasional workshops with our artists to offer a look behind the scenes at the creative process.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

There is no time off – creativity does not follow a standard 40-hour week. Inspiration comes when it comes. Often people think that one just sits down to create, but for us, almost half of the process is in the planning. We spend so much time brainstorming together, dreaming up new concepts, bouncing ideas off each other and building on one another’s creativity. It can take weeks or even months of mulling over an idea before we ever pick up a brush. We look at everything around us in search of inspiration, dream about color combinations, and spend countless hours sketching and painting before we are satisfied and can move on to working on the art for a design. At the same time, we are creating clothing designs. We never imagined how complicated it is to make something fit well – millimeters really do matter! But all of it is truly magical, we are enjoying every step of the process and when everything comes together, it is amazing. We are rewarded with happy customers, many of whom come back and buy certain items in every pattern. We are so grateful that we are able to do something that we love, sharing our island home with wearable memories that visitors and locals alike can treasure for a long time.

Contact Info:

• Website: indigosong.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indigosongdesigns/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/indigosongdesigns
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyxLz9YUupI