I was particularly shocked to read how our human relationships have developed with Nature. It is full of useful facts from the widely known to the more obscure. If you cannot get to the London exhibition, then I highly recommend the accompanying book ‘Fashioned from Nature’ (FFN). It is extremely informative and beautifully represents the exhibition.

Nature inspires us for fashion ideas, provision of the raw materials and also in the energy used to produce and transport them (FFN)’. It appears that ‘ everything we wear, from clothes and accessories to jewellery, is ‘fashioned’ from matter found in the world around us. The lower floor is mainly covering 1600-1900’s whilst the upper floor continued into the present times. The show covers the global journey of British fashion from around 1600 to the present day. It’s a new exhibition and it’s wonderful! I’d like to think that over the duration of the exhibition there will be an acceleration of people coming to view it. The show was eerily quiet when I visited, but it gave me the space and time to connect with the material. I found it impossible to give the ticket away to people within my social circle, which kind of viscerally emphasised a disconnect with the subject…(even if that was not the truth of the matter!).

My partner was unable to attend the show so I had a spare ticket. It truly opened my eyes to the close relationship we have with fashion and Nature: good and not so good. I felt it important to take the time to visit. A thought provoking exhibition at the V&A: Fashioned from Nature (FFN).

September 2017 desktop wallpaper quilt