EXPLORING THE JOURNEY OF TEXTILE FROM SEED TO CLOTH
The Oko Farms Clothing Restoration Project explores the preservation of natural dyes and fibers rooted in West African and Southeast Asian traditions as a response to the wasteful and environmentally harmful practices of today’s clothing industry. It is a celebration of our ancestral relationship to clothing as we challenge the current extractive industrial fashion complex and work to reestablish a deeper connection with nature through textile arts.
At its core, the project focuses on cultivating plant-based dye and fiber crops, transforming these materials into pigments and textiles, and researching their many historical uses, including medicinal, spiritual, cultural, and artistic applications.
Throughout this process, we invite NYC residents to take part in the work. Through hands-on workshops, film screenings, and community conversations, participants will engage directly with the materials, histories, and practices that reconnect clothing production to land, culture, and sustainability.
SEPTEMBER 2026 WORKSHOPS:
Oko Farms invites you to a month of connection to our fiber and dye traditions through indigo dyeing and cotton spinning workshops and a special screening.
We invite you to an in-depth study of the color blue through indigo and cyanotype, led by textile practitioner Oluwakemi "Kemi" Oritsejafor. Over the course of three sessions, you will learn to process fresh, raw indigo grown at Oko Farms into dye while learning about its Yoruba cultural roots, and its long history as a tool of remembrance and connection. Sign up for one or all three classes
Price: $116.50/class
Dates: Wednesdays September 16 & 23, and Tuesday September 29
Time: 6pm- 9pm
Location: Oko Rooftop at Honey’s | 99 Scott Ave, 11237
By the end of the series:
You’ll be able to build and maintain your own indigo dye vat
Use resist techniques like folding, tying and wax-resist
Create Cyanotype prints
You’ll also leave with printed resources and an indigo plant cutting to grow at home and continue your practice
DEEPÈLÚ: A Workshop of the Color Blue
MAKE YOUR OWN YARN
Rooted in ancestral knowledge and practice, we invite you into the slow, intentional craft of hand spinning using our farm-grown cotton. Over the course of three weeks, you will learn the foundational skills of cotton spinning while deepening your relationship with the plant.
This is a 3-class series.
Price: $300 for the series
Dates: September 14, September 21 and September 28
Time: 6pm— 8pm
Location: Oko Rooftop at Honey’s | 99 Scott Ave, 11237
By the end of the series:
You’ll be able to confidently spin both 1-ply and 2-ply yarn using Brooklyn-grown cotton.
You’ll also leave with your own hand spindle, and printed instructional materials to support your continued practice and yarn-making journey beyond the farm.
Textile As Ancestral Memory: A Film Screening & Panel Discussion
We invite you to a special screening of our travels to West Africa and Indonesia, where we had the privilege of meeting and learning from weavers, natural dyers, and farmers who are dedicated keepers of traditional textile practices. Through their knowledge, craft, and connection to the land, they continue to preserve and carry these rich traditions forward.
After the screening, join us for a special panel discussion featuring Oko farms and NYC-based textile artists whose work intersects environmental advocacy, education, and ancestral practice.
Date & Time: Tuesday Sept 29 | 7pm - 9pm
Location: Oko Rooftop at Honey’s | 99 Scott Ave, 11237
This workshop is made possible by support from New York State Council of the Arts (NYSCA)
REFUNDS FOR CLOTHING RESTORATION PROGRAMS:
More than 10 days before the event: 50% refund.
Within 10 days of the event: We are unable to issue a refund. We are happy to put your balance to another Oko Farms program in the event you need to cancel.
Want to learn more on the farm?
Oko Farms offers educational courses, tours, and workshops.
