Climate activist designers make clothes from horsehair and King Charles nettles
Climate activist fashion designers create a ‘little black dress’ of horsehair and nettles from Highgrove House – and it was all King Charles’ idea
A dress made from nettles and horsehair from King Charles’s private home will go on display at the National Museum of Scotland next month.
Created by fashion designers VIN + OMI and climate activists, the dress uses sustainable materials from Charles’ Highgrove estate, Gloucestershire – at the suggestion of Charles himself.
And the garment, which “aims to showcase more sustainable solutions in fashion,” will be featured in the Beyond the Little Black Dress exhibition at the museum in Edinburgh, after which it will enter the permanent collection.
Adorned with the word “resist,” the streetwear-inspired look defies the expectations of the classic little black dress, the makers say.
Georgina Ripley, chief curator of modern and contemporary design at National Museums Scotland, said the organization is “delighted” to have commissioned the “standout” piece for the national collection, and look forward to unveiling it to visitors in Beyond the Little Black dress.
Fashion designers VIN + OMI (pictured) have created a dress from waste material from the King’s Highgrove estate
She added: “Fashion is one of the most energy-consuming, polluting and wasteful modern industries.
‘In response, contemporary designers are looking for more sustainable solutions, such as this nature-driven approach from VIN + OMI.
“Their ‘LBD’ challenges us to resist the mainstream and put the environment at the forefront of our fashion choices.”
VIN + OMI are award-winning fashion designers and started collaborating with King in 2019.
VIN + OMI said: ‘For the past 20 years we have deliberately tried to avoid being part of the fashion machine that is contributing to the planet’s demise.
“We don’t retail our clothes and are much more enthusiastic about experimenting, teaching and challenging. Our dress for National Museums Scotland shows what can happen with the waste of British estates.
‘These plantations produce a large amount of vegetable and other waste.
‘We have worked with King Charles for four years and his open-minded, ecological approach to running his estates makes a partnership like this possible.
RESIST: The dress made from the waste materials (pictured) is decorated with the word ‘resist’
According to the designers, King Charles (pictured in Romania earlier this month) has an “open-minded, ecological approach to running his estates.”
‘National Museums Scotland is the perfect final home for this work – the alternatives to fast fashion must be constantly explored.
“By housing our work here, future generations will learn ways to naturally produce clothing that causes minimal damage to our planet.”
Beyond The Little Black Dress brings together over 60 looks from collections and designers around the world.
It opens with a long-sleeved black day dress designed by Gabrielle Coco Chanel in 1926 and looks at fashion across the decades, from early pieces by Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior and Jean Muir to contemporary designers and brands such as Gareth Pugh, Simone Rocha and off-white.
Beyond The Little Black Dress runs from July 1 to October 29 at the National Museum of Scotland.