Round Trip Goods is the art + design studio of Leah Rich, in Denver, Colorado.
With a focus on upcycling, color, and natural materials, I am currently offering plant dye classes, plant-dyed and hand painted clothing, zines, artwork & handmade art supplies.
Living Color
Marigold, scabiosa, cosmos, eucalyptus, coreopsis, morning glory, madder, indigo, cochineal. Colors from plants carry the properties of the plant with them into the fabric. Dyes from plants have a quality of color unlike synthetics and history with us as humans and makers that is very old. I grow, forage, and purchase botanicals responsibly for my dyes and inks.
Handmade Inks
Handmade inks for painting on paper are produced in the studio with ingredients like scrap copper, old pennies, chalk, turmeric, and walnut husks.
Upcycling Textiles
Sourcing my fabric second hand is a pillar of my textile practice. Gently used cotton fabric and clothing are easy to find in big cities and I use this abundant material rather than contributing to new textile production which is labor intensive and requires vast amounts of water and waste. Fast Fashion is a humanitarian and feminist crisis, and a major contributor to landfills and illegal over-seas dumping.
Artwork
I create wall hangings using plant dyed cotton, often incorporating scraps from previous projects. Collage is one of my favorite ways of creating and I aim to create bold abstract landscapes and spacescapes largely influenced and decided by colors and shapes that evoke feeling.
Origins
Faced with burnout in the industrial design industry, I decided to make a big change toward something more sustainable and enjoyable.
Discovering natural dyeing was the key that allowed me to combine my love of plants, fabrics, and working with my hands, all while creating within the constraints of waste based design.
I come from a long line of diy'ers, rebels, and craftspeople in Kentucky and currently live and work in Denver.
Dye Classes
I teach dye classes all along the front range year round.
My most frequent class is a Bundle Dye Bandana Class in which students learn the basics of plant dyeing, textile prepping, and are walked through the steps of creating their own plant dyed cotton bandana. Click the link at the top left for class dates and ticket information.
Lookin' for Heroes
If you feel passionate about waste based art or sustainable practices in fashion and have as little as $3 a month to spare, consider becoming a Patreon Member. Patrons help me keep working in a very real way.
Patrons see new products first and get a behind the scene look at Round Trip!
FAQ
SLIDING SCALE & TRADES: I have traded clothing for tai chi lessons, pottery, beer, and other artwork, reach out via email if you'd like to make a trade.
I offer a sliding scale price for anyone who identifies as low income, BIPOC, trans, gender non-conforming, as well as our veterans, teachers, climate workers, farmers, and artists. Use the code NEIGHBOR15 for 15% of anything in the shop anytime, no questions asked.
SKIN SENSITIVITY: I use only biodegradable, non-toxic, planet safe soaps and fabric softeners to make sure our fabrics are safe for all skin types (our favorite is 7th generation products). While most plant dyes have almost no record of allergies, please make sure you are not allergic to any of these plants before using our textiles on your own skin.
SHIPPING : Items in stock will ship out within 2 days unless I am traveling. If I am away from my merchandise, I will have a notice at the top of the page of the next soonest ship date.
RETURNS: I do not do returns but am happy to exchange items if you are not satisfied with a new item in the first 30 days. I strive to show items accurately and with enough detail to convey each items' qualities. Proper care of products will ensure a long life of the item and its infused colors. If you have any questions about an item, please email me.
Round Trip Goods is a cis-gendered white woman owned business. I acknowledge that my privileges are largely responsible for my ability to do my art. I work to be less ignorant, do minimal harm to the communities around me, and support other artists along the way.
I honor traditional textile workers, cotton pickers, block printers, garment workers, the Cheyenne and Arapahoe peoples who are indigenous to where I now live and work, and the dyers who have kept ancient earth skills and knowledge alive through the horrors of colonization and the growing climate crisis.
Sustainability Efforts & Waste Based Design
All clothing and artwork is made from second hand textiles. Items that don't sell get either redyed and reintroduced or turned into something new.
All shipping envelopes are pre-used, 90% of my studio equipment is second hand.
Product Care
Items are embedded with living plant dyes and will change with you over time. This is natural and part of the journey of the fabric and plant infusion. Some colors darken, some lighten, some shift.
If you have the time, hand washing is best but a delicate machine cycle with like colors and cold water works too. Tumblr dry with low heat or hang dry.
Ironing items after they dry works great at getting cotton back to a smooth finish.
Blog Posts
Cacti Spirits →
Aiming for Black →
Bundle Dyeing on the Go →
Clay Resist & Indigo: Initial Test →
Make the Round Trip
All items are designed to be unisex, user-friendly, and multi functional to encourage creative interactions and a long life for the product. Hopefully you use your Round Trip Goods until they are worn out from love and daily use. We encourage you to repair, and repurpose your products if you think it’s at the end of their life cycle. We would love to hear of ways you reuse old textiles of any kind. Post on social with #maketheroundtrip to share ideas.