Kew explores the future of fashion in major new festival, Material World

This autumn, leading artists, award-winning designers and expert horticulturists come together at Kew Gardens in London to stage a fashion revolution. Inspired by the rich resources plants and fungi offer the clothing industry, Material World seeks to shift the dial on contemporary textile practices. Held in Kew’s iconic Temperate House and featuring striking installations, thought-provoking planting and skills-sharing events, the six-week festival will shine a light on alternative approaches to modern wardrobes, empowering visitors with positive actions they can make at home.

Suspended in the heart of the world’s largest Victorian glasshouse, Between Earth and Sky comes from Australian-born Nigerian artist, educator and environmentalist, Nnenna Okore. A champion for the power of art in engaging people with ecological issues, Okore will create a bespoke commission formed from biodegradable materials including organic cotton, hessian and cheesecloth. Floating, overlapping and hovering above Kew’s magnificent collection of rare and extinct-in-the-wild plants, vast wing-like forms create an interactive spatial experience. At its core, this large-scale installation seeks to inspire reflection on ecological responsibility, and forge deeper connections between fashion, design, and the ecosystems that sustain us.

Transforming an octagonal chamber of the glasshouse, a newly planted garden created by award-winning designer Lottie Delamain invites visitors to explore the plant material within their clothing. Global Threads showcases the wealth of resources available in the natural world to create a more sustainable fashion industry, celebrating the plants that create dyes and fibres, and re-establishing an often-lost connection between what we wear and what we grow. Grouped according to their country of origin, with a special bed dedicated to hyper-local species, plants include Aloe vera, turmeric (Curcuma longa), Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa), Indigo (Indigofera tinctoria) and Cotton (Gossypium herbaceum). 

Elsewhere, a takeover by the next generation of fashion designers and thinkers will be explored. Commissioned in collaboration with the London College of Fashion, UAL, this display explores how the plant world can help the fashion industry achieve sustainable style. An audio-artwork considers the complicated history and environmental impact of cotton, whilst an additional display illustrates the ways traditional crafts and skills of artisans and indigenous communities can inform more sustainable practices.

A series of accompanying events offer fun and interactive ways for fashion enthusiasts, sustainability advocates and green-fingered visitors to further uncover how plants and fungi can drive sustainable change. From vibrant After Hours events with DJs, future-forward fashion shows and costume performances, to talks on sustainable styling, hands-on workshops and demonstrations, Material World will reveal the stories within our wardrobes to inspire pioneering and positive change.

Paul Denton, Head of Visitor Programmes and Exhibitions at RBG Kew says, “We are thrilled to be launching Material World, a festival that explores the transformative potential of plants and fungi in fashion. This celebration of sustainability brings together art, design, and horticulture to engage visitors in rethinking how we approach our wardrobes, highlighting the connection between natural materials and fashion to inspire positive change in how we consume. At RBG Kew, we believe in the power of plants to shape a better future, and Material World invites everyone to discover the role they can play in driving a more sustainable fashion industry.

Dominic Emmerson, Deputy CEO, Cazenove Capital says, “We are delighted to extend our partnership with Kew Gardens through our sponsorship of “Material World”, which will explore how plant and fungi-based fabrics can drive sustainability and combat deforestation, biodiversity loss and climate change. We are very much looking forward to seeing the exhibition come to life at Kew and supporting the invaluable work of its scientists and horticulturists.”

At the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, we’re dedicated to harnessing the power of plants and fungi to end the extinction crisis and secure a future for all life on Earth. With our world-leading research, global partnerships and beloved gardens – home to the world’s most diverse collections of plants and fungi – we’re using our trusted voice to shape policy and practice worldwide. As a charity we rely on the critical support of our visitors, not only to sustain the gardens, but to protect global plant and fungal biodiversity for the benefit of our planet and humanity.

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ENDS