UNEP- Oman workshop- RUW student participation

01,Jan 1970

Students Ms Maram Alzari and Ms Zainab Salim, from the BA in Fashion Design programme at RUW, were invited to attend a workshop in Muscat on -Innovation in Colorants: Binding Nature to Textiles from February 6th-9th

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Regional office for West Asia in collaboration with the UTAS in Oman carried out a 4-day workshop in Muscat, Oman on extracting and using colourants from natural sources. The workshop was arranged under the umbrella of the UNEP West Asia Sustainable Fashion Academy (WASFA) supported by GO4SDGs and included hands on activities, as well as lectures on best practices, circular business models, eco-innovation, life cycle thinking and various more sustainable extraction and dyeing techniques. The main objective of this workshop was to teach the future decision makers how to produce biodegradable printed textiles which later could be used as apparel fabrics. The activities focused on extracting organic pigments (coffee, kamala, tea, henna, indigo blue, red cabbage and many more) from different natural plants and applying them on organic fabric to create printed fashionable textiles. 

In addition to participants met participants from other countries (Oman, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates) and added to their professional circle. Students further gained experience by visiting local markets, Oman botanical gardens, Royal Opera house and gallery and a yacht trip! The workshop was fully sponsored by UNEP and students attained a lifelong learning.