Meet Leah Rich

Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah Rich.

Hi Leah, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I went to school for Industrial Design here in Denver at MSU. When I graduated, I couldn’t wait to be a businesswoman and a product designer, to fit that role.

After 3 or 4 years at 3 or 4 jobs, I was already burned out and tired of machismo culture, being the only woman so a company could say they hire women, and all the waste that was produced that comes with product and event design. I had to change gears and I gave myself a couple of months off in 2019 to explore what to do next. I’d always loved textiles and the outdoors but didn’t discover natural dyeing until this time off exploring, then everything clicked.

With the help of my partner, we converted our garage into a workshop and I started my own company based on reusing old textiles and natural dyes. What started as making mostly homewares like napkins and tablecloths, I now dye and paint mostly clothes, with a series of wall hangings here and there. All the fabric I use is sourced locally, secondhand cotton. I am currently teaching classes in the Denver area too, turning people into natural dyes and fibers. I love what I do and get to work with my hands and be outside a lot.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Covid lockdown coincided with me getting my studio running and producing work so that was perfect timing to be stuck at home. The biggest struggle for me is “finding my people” and getting anyone to my website.

Doing markets and pop-ups is such hard work and you never know how folks are going to receive your efforts. I am still working to find my audience on a bigger scale and want to have my clothing in more stores rather than try to get traffic to my website.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have created a clothing company where everything is a second hand like a thrift shop, but every item has been hand dyed with plant dyes, some painted, some dyed in indigo, or wildflowers, or eucalyptus that I foraged.

I don’t think many people are doing this here in Denver although I’d love to make more plant dye friends!

Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
I love the 10% Happier podcast, meditation, and Buddhist values help me get through the weeks.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://roundtripgoods.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roundtripgoods/
• Other: https://www.flowcode.com/page/roundtripgoods