The Hands That Dye: Ceilidh Chaplin of BillyNou

Ceilidh Chaplin is the founder of BillyNou, a slow fashion studio rooted in natural dyeing, craft, and small-scale production. Growing up in a Steiner school, she developed an early connection to working with her hands and the natural world — a sensibility that later resurfaced when she began dyeing clothes with avocado pits and local plant pigments in her kitchen in France. Each piece she creates is dyed, cut, and sewn in tiny batches, often using antique and vintage textiles. For Ceilidh, slow fashion is about intention: caring for the earth, honoring craft, and building genuine relationships with community and clothing alike.

Your story starts with a deep connection to craft and community. What first drew you to natural dyeing?

I have always been attracted to textiles and craft. I think it started in kindergarten. I went to a Steiner school, and I just adored the handwork lessons. I really think it nurtured that innate connection to nature I believe we all have, the way all the lessons and the environment were so sensitive to the natural world and to doing things with our hands.

I definitely deviated from these sentiments as a teenager and young adult, but the seeds were definitely planted.

I discovered natural dyeing when I was searching for non-toxic dyes to colour some of the overalls I was making when my brand was just starting out. I read online that avocados could make pink, and I don’t think I even needed to try it before deciding I was fully in. It was one of those moments when something clicks, and you just know there’s something for you here. Then came the experiments, having no idea what I was doing but seeing beautiful natural colour appear on cloth, it was like magic to me.

BillyNou is rooted in slow, local production. What does “slow fashion” mean to you in a world that’s constantly accelerating?

BillyNou is a really, really slow fashion brand. I do think there’s room to be a little faster and still be considered slow, compared to how I generally create though.

Up until very recently, I have made every product myself , from sourcing the vintage and antique fabric here in France to designing and making the products, and dyeing them each individually in my kitchen.

I guess this is what slow fashion means to me: garments made with intention, where process and craft are valued by both the producer and the consumer. This can look different for everyone, but the underlying principles are the same - giving a shit about the planet, nature, and our fellow human beings.

As a slow fashion consumer, I enjoy wearing the same things over and over again. My wardrobe is very small, and when I do purchase, I try to do so with intention, making sure to only buy things I really love. I also love a good hand-me-down or thrifted item.

As a slow fashion producer, my priorities are very small productions, often just a few pieces, ethically sourced fibres (often vintage), and building a relationship with my community.

Color in your work feels both emotional and intentional. How do you choose and translate colors that come from nature into your collections?

The way that I work is by creating really small drops, sometimes only a few pieces at a time. I never plan anything; I go with a feeling about what items I want to create, and it’s the same for the colours and techniques I use.

I’ll often decide on a plant or pigment before (if ever) deciding on a specific colour or shade. I am very much drawn to and enjoy the idea of the plants and pigments deciding how they will show up on the cloth or fibre. This is also why I really enjoy techniques such as ice dyeing or bundle dyeing, as there’s less control over the outcome.

Natural dyeing is often seen as artisanal and small-scale. From your perspective, can natural dyeing be scaled without losing its integrity — and if so, how?

Yes, I do think it can be scaled, but like with anything, getting too big inevitably means a loss of integrity. I think there’s a balance, a point where something can sit and be profitable or beneficial for all those involved, from the plant to the growers to the designers to the consumers. A system that can genuinely support a community of people.

It’s about knowing where the sweet spot is, and this can be achieved by educating people and bringing awareness to all aspects of the process. It’s also about spreading the knowledge so more people can support their own communities. It’s about inspiring each other and not gatekeeping the knowledge.

At ILANGA, we explore ways to make natural dyeing accessible at industry level. What challenges do you see in bridging craft and industry, and what might make that shift possible?

I think industry is very focused on uniformity, whereas craft embraces differences and uniqueness. Ultimately, I think this is where the consumer has power, the power to consume less, more consciously, with greater appreciation for the craft and process behind their garments.

Again, I think it’s up to people like us and those in the industry to keep spreading awareness and guidance in the hopes this appreciation becomes more widespread. The ripple effect is very real, and I absolutely don’t believe making people feel bad for their choices is the way to encourage change.

Circularity is a term used often, but rarely practiced fully. What does a truly circular relationship between maker, material, and wearer look like to you?

Very simply, it means that the relationship actually exists.

Going back to your earlier question about scalability, I think this is a good example of where, if things get too big, it’s almost impossible to keep a genuine relationship. I think transparency is key, awareness is key, and moving away from trends is key.

Fashion has long prioritized speed and novelty. What would need to change —structurally or culturally—for circular, naturally dyed garments to become the norm?

I think a lot of people still equate cheaper with better, and more with better value. This mindset is so ingrained, it’s really hard to get people to change their perspective.

But I do believe that gently encouraging and offering education around things like natural dyes is helping to change and open people’s minds. I’ve seen how much the world of natural dyes has grown in the past few years, it’s really promising.

You’ve been part of a growing movement of designers reimagining fashion through craft. What gives you hope about the direction the industry is heading — and what still worries you?

I’ve been noticing how much the online world of natural dyes has grown over the past few years, which is just one tiny indication that people are waking up to new (old) ways.

I think people are getting fed up with this fast-paced moment in time we are in and are tired of being manipulated and lied to by big corporations. People are genuinely searching for quality, meaning, and connection.

What worries me is that the larger companies will just find a way to continue greenwashing us and chasing profit. I’m not sure how that beast can be tamed. 

Our motto is Modifying Perspectives. What does that mean to you?

Being open to other perspectives than our own will save the world.

A little dramatic maybe, but I have strong feelings about being open minded and challenging ourselves to be so daily.

For those trying to create change within fashion — designers, makers, or innovators — what’s one piece of advice you’d give to anyone building a more circular future?

It’s a bit cliché, but if you really believe in something, just keep going. Be authentic and enjoy what you are doing. You’ll touch the right people in the right places at the right time.

This is what I tell myself anyway.

Follow Ceilidh Chaplin on Instagram
Check out her collection here