THE CLOTHING RESTORATION PROJECT
BLOG 001
08.03.2023
Isidore Kouton: The Beninese Master of Natural Plant Dye and Textile Weaving
Our first blog series introduces the remarkable story of Isodore Kouton, a master weaver and natural plant dye expert from Benin, West Africa. Mr. Kouton is a textile trailblazer with four decades of practice and experimentation with 70+ plant dye applications. He is also the resident traditional dye and weaving consultant for the Beninese textile community. We were thrilled when our Togo-based Field Researcher, Titi Gakoto, discovered Kouton through Hermine Bocovo, a Togo based traditional weaver originally from Benin. Earlier this year, Titi set out on a 14 hour-long journey from Lomé, Togo to Parakou, Benin to meet Mr. Kouton. Hermine accompanied her as a guide and FON-Ewe translator (local languages). More on Titi and Hermine’s adventures here. The trip was worth it! What we discovered is that Kouton is truly a living legend who has dedicated his life to the promotion and conservation of traditional weaving and natural plant dyeing.On March 18, 2023.Titi and Hermine met with Mr. Kouton at Centre de Promotion des Métiers du textile (Promotion Center of Textile Works/CEPROMET), a textile training center for youth and adults that teaches artisanal traditions and techniques of textile production. CEPROMET founded by Mr. Kouton, is the culmination of his life’s work. 
Isidore Kouton wearing an indigo dye outfit created at CEPROMET
Originally trained as a tailor, Kouton is now dedicated to the cultural preservation of traditional textiles. He was born “around 1949” in Djougou and grew up farming alongside his parents in the coastal southeastern town of Avrankou. While fishing was the most common profession during his adolescence, Kouton was exposed to textile dyeing using plants growing around him and on his family farm. “Our parents didn't know about chemical dyeing. To get different colors on their loincloths, our parents used plant organs: leaves, pods, fruit, bark and roots of different dye plants.”
Kouton’s exposure to this practice taught him that clothing and farming are inextricably linked. This led to a curiosity and passion for textile and clothing. As an adult, he pursued a career in sewing and textile production which led him to the United Nations Development Program for textile dyeing in Benin. Through this program, he gained expertise in textile dyeing, but was unsatisfied with his lack of expertise in the traditional organic methods of his people. These traditional techniques were quickly disappearing and chemical dyes had taken over as a more lucrative alternative. On dye trends and demands across Benin, Kouton shares, “The majority of our people prefer chemical dyes because these fabrics are more attractive, shinier and, above all, less expensive.”
DISCOVERY
Kouton found this trend disturbing and was determined to learn the organic dye techniques – local West African traditions safely guarded in generational families of textile practitioners. He succeeded in his first attempt to learn organic dye during this time after discovering an elderly organic dye practitioner in northern Benin. While there, he encountered challenges with fading colors in his organically dyed cloth. “After taking lessons from him (elder), I realized that the dyed loincloths lost their color in the wash. So I had to find a solution to keep the colors on the fabrics."
This led him on a journey to find elders who held these ancient traditions and practices of textile production and dyeing both in Benin and nearby Burkina Faso. Working and training alongside the elders, he gained the breakthrough technique of applying mordant to organically-dyed fabrics to retain their color. His time with the elders allowed him to develop the skills to master the correct plant material to water ratios, as well as the mordant quantities, and fabric dimensions required for various dye plants.Map of Benin | Source: Google
"My goal was to preserve this technique, which is on the verge of extinction. The second is therapeutic: unlike chemical dyeing, which is harmful to health and a danger to the environment, organic dyeing relieves many ailments because the essence of these plants when inhaled, making it an excellent anti-asthenic, anti-oxidant and super-sleep aid. The third reason is to promote our ancient African dyeing methods and communicate their benefits in relation to clothing issues linked to human health.” Woven Fabric produced at CEPROMET
It is important to note that the healing component of traditional dye culture is deeply rooted in West African histories and spiritual beliefs and practices. In fact, each country and region has its own unique techniques associated with their traditional dyeing methods. The oldest surviving indigo-dyed textiles were found in Mali’s Tellem caves dating back to the 11th century; other indigo-dyed fragments from the 13th century were found in royal graves in Nigeria. Originally reserved for royalty and limited to sacred ceremonies across West Africa, these traditionally dyed fabrics are believed to possess spiritual and healing properties and have often been used to seek guidance and confer messages. In Nigeria, the Yoruba and the Hausa people established strong technical and spiritual foundations with indigo and àdìrẹ (tie-dye) cloth that serve as a standard for other textile traditions across West Africa. In Mali, the Dogon people have a long tradition of dyeing cloth using mud (bògòlanfini) and other natural pigments, while in Ghana, the Asante people have a rich weaving heritage known as kente. A popular legend relates how two young Asante men learned the art of kente weaving from observing a spider weaving its web; the Asante believe that wearing kente cloth brings good fortune, spiritual protection, and healing to the wearer.Dyeing with mango leaves
NATURAL PLANT DYE AND HUMAN HEALTH
Kouton’s expertise lies in his mastery of indigo dye, one of the oldest and most revered natural dyes in the world. The blue pigment is extracted from the leaves of some plants in the indigofera genus and has been used for centuries across West Africa and indigenous cultures around the world to 1) produce striking blue , 2) confer spiritual and medicinal power, as well as 3) to distinguish cultural rites of passages and ceremonies. There are a variety types of plants that impart the color blue that are widely used for dyeing and healing in other parts of the world, for example, Persicaria tinctoria, commonly known as Chinese indigo/Japanese Indigo, is native to Eastern Europe and Asia along with Strobilanthes cusia, native to East and Southeast Asia and commonly known as Assam Indigo. Isidore works with Indigofera Tinctoria (true indigo). Along with his expertise in indigo; Isidore has also mastered over seventy natural plant applications including mango, neem and shea leaves, which are his favorites. As a traditional dye practitioner, he is also deeply versed in the dyeing process from start to finish, knowing the exact plants to select, their use cases, the optimal time to harvest, and the best methods of extraction. As is tradition in many indigenous cultures, Kouton goes into the forest to select and gather plant material for natural dye; seeking out the plants, barks, and roots that are known for their dyeing properties. To obtain the desired dyes, he practices both hot and cold applied dye methods based on the plant material and its end use. He is also skilled in design, often using ancient techniques such as wax-resist and tie-dye methods to create intricate patterns and motifs. However, Isidore emphasizes organic dye not only for its potent pigment and stylistic use, but also for its medicinal benefits. “Apart from Indigo, some of our favorite natural dyes to work with include neem and shea leaves. They also produce a rich blue dye and have substantial medicinal benefits as well. Neem, for example, treats malaria and influenza; mango leaves, for example, regulate blood pressure when prepared as a tea; mango bark juice treats vaginal infections and all kinds of infections that prevent fertilization. The leaves are rich in nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, calcium, magnesium and vitamins B, Eand C; they can be used as an alternative feed for livestock. Shea leaves are recommended in cases of bloating, conjunctivitis or trachoma. For fatigue, malaria and high blood pressure; but I use neem leaves more for influenza and chronic malaria.”
For him, clothing and clothing dye represent health and a core West African value of protecting the body. For example, a popular indigo-dyed pattern in West Africa, “orí mi pe,” which loosely translates to my mind/spirit is well. This design refers to the importance of guarding the wearer’s body and destiny. Isidore reminisces on his learnings from the elder practitioners,”Our parents in the old days liked textile fibers that softened the skin and didn't make it itch or feel hot; hence the adoption of cotton and organic dyeing. For example, organic dyeing with cotton absorbs heat, and dye in contact with the skin does no harm to the wearer. So just as our health is linked to the food we eat, the health of our body and even our organism is also linked to the way we wear our clothes.”
Japanese Indigo grown in Oko Farms
CEPROMET
As Founder and Executive Director of The Centre de Promotion des Métiers du textile (Promotion Center of Textile Works/CEPROMET), Isodore offers rigorous training in 100% cotton and blended weaving, cutting and sewing, general dyeing, and printed organic dyeing. In its ten year tenure, CEPROMET has trained around 1,500 adults in Benin and nearly 2,000 young students from various backgrounds. Students have the opportunity to learn artisanal textile techniques in 6 months to a year, depending on the learner's level of education. The center's inclusive approach welcomes individuals from diverse age ranges, backgrounds, and abilities including physical and educational.IMPACT
The center's in-house production focuses on organic, 100% cotton, hand-spun, and hand-dyed textiles that not only capture the attention of local markets but also attract commissions from international buyers who highly value the center’s craftsmanship. Building upon these merits, CEPROMET partners with local elderly cotton specialists for hand-spun cotton traditional threads. These specialists source from local cotton farmers while Isidore assists the cotton specialists with the organic dye and mordanting skills he acquired for retaining pigment on raw cotton spins.“For 5 years, I visited the four departments of northern Benin. I chose Parakou as the location for CEPROMET because I wanted to be closer to the production areas for raw materials, especially cotton, which is essential for textile production.”
Isidore leadership has turned CEPROMET into a respected textile resource center for students, artists, historians, and locals in Benin and the sub-region. His work at CEPROMET has created a positive impact, creating avenues for employment and addressing the needs of young school dropouts and unemployed graduates. However, he still faces a major challenge in convincing popular society in Benin to choose organic dyeing over its cheaper and diluted chemical counterpart. Whether in its value, durability, cultural integrity, environmental safety or in its medicinal value, organically dyed clothing is superior. Following a lifetime of commitment to this work, Isidore’s primary goal is to further the legacy and infrastructure at CEPROMET for the next generation. His aim is for the center to become an international training hub promoting local and African textile cultures, to meet the needs of the local and international market, and reinvigorate the significance of healing textiles made in Benin. Your support will ensure the growth and sustainability of CEPROMET and help train many more Beninese and West Africans in the art and power of traditional textiles and dyes.Isidore’s Kouton's journey from tailor to master weaver and organic dye expert has paved a way for the preservation of traditional dyeing methods in Benin, and we are deeply indebted to his commitment to this work. His contributions will continue to shine a light on the beauty and value of West African dyeing traditions, ensuring their longevity for years to come.Interested in contributing to the work at CEPROMET or learning more about its specialized training? Sign up here for more information. [This series of blog posts is a part of the Oko Farms Clothing Restoration Project.]