Kirsi Mantua-Kommonen

I am interested in natural dyes and their functional properties, and colours as a cultural communication mode. At the Fashion History Lab, I study traditional purple dyes and Early Modern dye recipes for purples and violets and experiment with them to create a portfolio of purple samples. I am also learning microscopic, spectroscopic and chemical analysis methods for characterizing dyes from fabric samples.

Concerning modern day applications, together with University of Jyväskylä I study certain natural dyes to develop an antiviral textile dye against corona viruses.