Eumelanin/Magnetite Black T-shirt (Medium Hanes)
This T-shirt has been hand-dyed using a natural process that combines eumelanin — the deep black pigment found throughout nature — with magnetite, a traditional iron-based fixative. Unlike synthetic dyes, the method draws from both biochemistry and textile craft, resulting in a garment that carries the depth and presence of natural black.
The process begins with a soy milk soak, where the shirt rests for an hour in a diluted soy solution. This step coats the cotton fibers with proteins, giving the melanin pigment a surface to bind to. After the shirt is allowed to dry completely, it undergoes a citric acid bath. The acidity gently prepares the fiber structure, opening it for the next stage.
Once prepped, the shirt is immersed overnight in a carefully prepared suspension of eumelanin and magnetite. The melanin provides the rich, dark pigment, while the magnetite deepens the shade and helps lock it into the fabric. After the long soak, the shirt is removed and allowed to air dry naturally, followed by a tumble-dry heat set, which helps the pigment-protein complex adhere more firmly to the fibers.
This experimental garment represents an early stage in a continuing textile process — with future refinements designed to settle the pigment into the weave even more permanently, using advanced natural textile techniques. Each piece is therefore both a finished wearable and a living prototype, embodying the evolution of melanin-based dyeing.
The result is a shirt that is not simply colored, but infused with natural pigment and mineral elements, carrying a story of oceanic eumelanin, earth-derived magnetite, and a method rooted in both tradition and innovation.
This T-shirt has been hand-dyed using a natural process that combines eumelanin — the deep black pigment found throughout nature — with magnetite, a traditional iron-based fixative. Unlike synthetic dyes, the method draws from both biochemistry and textile craft, resulting in a garment that carries the depth and presence of natural black.
The process begins with a soy milk soak, where the shirt rests for an hour in a diluted soy solution. This step coats the cotton fibers with proteins, giving the melanin pigment a surface to bind to. After the shirt is allowed to dry completely, it undergoes a citric acid bath. The acidity gently prepares the fiber structure, opening it for the next stage.
Once prepped, the shirt is immersed overnight in a carefully prepared suspension of eumelanin and magnetite. The melanin provides the rich, dark pigment, while the magnetite deepens the shade and helps lock it into the fabric. After the long soak, the shirt is removed and allowed to air dry naturally, followed by a tumble-dry heat set, which helps the pigment-protein complex adhere more firmly to the fibers.
This experimental garment represents an early stage in a continuing textile process — with future refinements designed to settle the pigment into the weave even more permanently, using advanced natural textile techniques. Each piece is therefore both a finished wearable and a living prototype, embodying the evolution of melanin-based dyeing.
The result is a shirt that is not simply colored, but infused with natural pigment and mineral elements, carrying a story of oceanic eumelanin, earth-derived magnetite, and a method rooted in both tradition and innovation.