Maegan Neubeck’s art begins with the earth – sourcing raw materials to create natural dyes that add a richness and depth to her work. Her approach to sustainability and quality mirrors our own philosophy. That’s why partnering with Maegan for our Earth Day ’25 Capsule Collection felt like a natural collaboration. At AG, we’re rooted in the belief that thoughtful design can create a more sustainable future, and Maegan’s work beautifully reflects that shared vision.
Maegan is wearing Brea Shirt in Pearl White and Hattie in Waves
Based in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York, Maegan Neubeck feels incredibly lucky to have her art studio nestled in such a breathtaking setting. Surrounded by nature's quiet beauty, she finds herself not only grounded and restored but continually inspired. The peaceful landscape fuels her creativity, making her studio more than just a workspace—it's a place where her art truly comes to life.
"My inspiration is mainly drawn from my surroundings.
I'm still blown away by a sunrise or sunset, and
how the neon colors cascade through the sky."
"This is why I have a neon sign for my logo. My logo is my initials, and together, it is the shape of the mountains around my studio. Sometimes, I stop while driving to take a photo of a meadow that has all of its pretty flowers in bloom; this will then transform into layers of color in my work."
For the past nine years, Maegan's natural dye studio has been her sanctuary—a place where the untouched beauty of nature and her own creativity meet and flourish. After years of working in the denim industry as a wash developer, the idea of foraging for plants and experimenting in a sustainable way with color felt like a dream too good to pass up. What began with looking to the earth for inspiration soon expanded skyward. Surrounded by sweeping views, she found herself not only immersed in color but moved to capture the landscapes around her, transforming her love for nature into works of art.
"My first studio was in the Watershed district in the Catskills. It was set above the Rondout Reservoir which is one of the main reservoirs that supplies drinking water into NYC. I had always been dyeing with plant matter, but it was having my studio there that made me take it more seriously. I was deeply rooted in taking care of the land and its resources. Even when out foraging, I never take too much and always say thank you. It may sound silly, but we do live on such a beautiful planet. We should always be thinking of how we can protect it, even in the smallest of things, like saying thank you and being aware of how our lives impact it."
This deep sense of gratitude and responsibility extends into every part of Maegan's creative process, including how she sources her materials. From the very beginning, she's been committed to finding and using resources that align with her values: sustainable, ethical, and rooted in a desire to create without harm.
"I grow a lot of the plants that I use in dyeing, which is highly rewarding, but also living in the northeast is very seasonal. So I source a lot of my dye matter with Botanical Colors in Washington State. They sustainably source their products and I can always rely on their quality. You can also find me going through the onion bins at supermarkets and filling up bags with the skins."
Given how labor-intensive it can be to source and prepare materials for natural dyes, it's easy to understand why most denim manufacturers lean toward synthetic alternatives. But as Maegan explains, the rewards of natural dyeing—especially the richness and depth of color—are well worth the effort.
"In natural dyes, you can get vibrant and deep saturated colors
but the process is long. In today's world, we want everything fast and easy,
which is why synthetic dyes were created."
She adds, "If you prepare your textiles with a proper scour and mordant, the color will last a long time. There are other factors in natural dyeing vs synthetic - citric acid, aka lemon, is a natural bleaching agent for natural dyes so you have to be careful when cooking. I used lemon juice to bleach out the top of the pink tees for the AG collaboration."
For the collaboration, Maegan created three distinct natural dyes using botanicals and minerals. The soft pink in the Sadie Crew comes from madder root, marigolds, pomegranate, logwood, and iron. The earthy green blends pomegranate, fustic, chlorophyllin, and iron. The warm tan, featured in both the Sadie Crew and men's Wesley Crew, was crafted from pomegranate, logwood, oak, sumac bark, and iron.
While the process of hand-dying creates distinct variations that make each tee unique from the rest, Maegan still had some inspiration in mind that she wanted to get across. "The inspiration came from my favorite landscapes," she shares. Each of the three tones echoes views only seen in nature: a sunrise over the mountains, the forest in summer, and ocean cliffs. Together, they tell a personal story—one rooted in a deep connection to the natural world.
"The natural dye community is so wonderful, I am always discussing plants and methods with them and sharing ideas. I also do workshops and love watching people's faces when they explore the magic of natural dyeing."
"I always tell people in the workshop,
'Today, someone will create a new color pattern.'
It always happens—and it's so fun to see."
She adds that realizing how something as simple as saving food scraps—like avocado pits, onion skins, beans, and flowers—can produce such beautiful colors is quite a transformative experience.
That spirit of transformation also extends into her sense of community. Through her artwork, she invites others to see the beauty in the every day and fosters a shared connection to the natural world. "I hope that when people purchase an article of clothing or artwork that has been thoughtfully cared for in the making of it with sustainability, the time and our planet in mind, they bring that mindset to their everyday life."
Balancing her deep passion for nature and community with the demands of commerce isn’t always easy. But for Maegan, it’s not about compromising, it’s about aligning herself with brands that share her same passion and values. “I have found to create the best work-life balance is to always stay true to myself. Do I always make the best decisions, no, but it's that journey that I love. Being a small business has enabled me to be able to navigate it at a pace I am comfortable living in so I don't feel the pressures of a big company.”
In a world that often prioritizes speed over quality, Maegan’s approach when creating thoughtful artwork reminds us that there’s value in making space for sustainable beauty that will last.
Sustainable shopping begins with purposeful designs. Shop our new Earth Day '25 Capsule Collection for recycled jeans and hand-dyed artisan tees.
Shop Earth Day Capsule Collection
