The V&A Museum tackles fashion sustainability in its new fashion exhibition for the summer season Fashioned from Nature which opened this weekend just in time for Earth Day around the globe.
Covering the past from 1600 to the present day the introductory garments show how fashion’s inspiration not only has come from nature but also taken the creatures themselves with the use of feathers, fur and even beetle wings to decorate garments.
We all know about the problems with fur but also problematic are the processes which are used to make most modern garments and the upper levels of the exhibition are dedicated to new solutions to reduce the impact of manufacturing and to find alternatives to leather and bad processes such as the way denim is dyed.
This is a serious exhibition with a modern message, there are some beautiful garments from previous centuries that you can only amaze at how they survived in such good condition. My favourite toxic object being a top hat so dangerously manufactured with mercury it has to be stored and exhibited with a toxic labelled sealed bag. Not for nothing is the character called The Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland!
Fashioned from Nature runs from 21st April – 27th Jan 2019 at the V&A Museum in London and is sponsored by CELC and G-Star RAW.
Around 1600 colourful embroideries were popular that sometimes incorporated fragments of iridescent peacock feathers twisted with silk – from Fashioned from Nature at the V&A Museum
1895 feather cape by Augusta Champot whose shape is mimicked by the cartoon behind mocking the uncaring women that supported the feather trade by wearing plumes at the V&A Museum
So toxic it has to be kept in a sealed bag, top hat from 1873 made with Beaver fur with traces of mercuric nitrate used in the felting process which caused trembling and anxiety. V&A Museum Fashioned from Nature
Over 5000 beetle wings and parts of wings were used to decorate this dress from 1868. India imported beetle wing cases and in one instance in 1867 sold 25,000 in one consignment – from Fashioned by Nature at the V&A Museum now
The upper level of the exhibition concentrates on fashion sustainability in the modern fashion world, here is the amazing Jean Paul Gaultier couture dress from 1997 made with thousands of hand sewn beads which replicate an animal print
This fringed dress and bag is made from Vegea, an alternative leather made from stalks, seeds and grapes eft over from wine production which was launched as a fashion collection in October 2017 designed by Tiziano Guardini
The modern environmental movement took shape in the 1970’s, campaign groups used T-shirts to raise money, here a Greenpeace T-shirt from 1990 at the V&A Fashioned from Nature exhibition
Brazilian label Osklen specialise in luxury products made from sustainable materials, this bag is made from Pirarucu fish skin, this is a protected species and the skins come from government regulated farms which provide employment for local communities and a sustainable source of food
All photos by Smudgetikka – all rights reserved
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