Prior to starting a hospitality role with the hotel chain Best Western, Nichole Thiel was an award-winning educator for secondary and elementary schools. While working as a high school career and technical education teacher, Nichole Thiel was granted a Fulbright Scholarship which funded a trip to India to learn more about traditional textiles and dying practices.

Indian textiles are made from locally-sourced raw materials and natural dyes and have been highly-coveted for thousands of years. One of the most well-known Indian textile colors is indigo, which is extracted from the Indigofera plant. Traditionally, the leaves or flowers of the plant are boiled to remove the colored pigment.

Once the pigment is collected and dried, it is mixed in a large vat of water. Textiles are submerged in this liquid several times to obtain the right richness and tone. Patterns are created by using wax or other substances that will prevent the dye from soaking into certain areas of the textile. The fabric is then dried in the sun. The entire process may take up to a week from start to finish.