Vietnam Enterprise Investments and Dragon Capital partnered with Fashion Revolution at the recent Chelsea Flower show to champion Biodiversity and Sustainable fashion through Lottie Delamain’s Silver-Gilt winning garden. Lottie drew inspiration from trekking in Vietnam and living in Saigon for her Textile Garden. When trekking in Sapa she noticed that local people were growing their textiles and dyes alongside their vegetables. “We were inspired by a trip I did in Vietnam where I saw women growing plants to dye and make their clothes right next to their veggies,” Delamain says, adding “but more and more we are using petrochemicals to make our clothes in the West, which is such a shame. So, this is about reminding people that clothes have historically come from plants and trying to make them feel that connection again.”
Inspired by this possible fundamental role of plants in fashion – as dyes, fibres, floral motifs, and botanical folklore – Lottie created a textile-inspired garden which asked visitors to re-imagine the link between what we can grow and what we wear, showcasing creative possibilities and innovative thinking around how we can use our resources to create more sustainable solutions.
Polyester manufacturing is an energy-intensive process, requiring large amounts of water and producing high levels of greenhouse gas emissions. Wastewater emitted from processing contains volatile substances that can pose a threat to human health. The Fashion Transparency Index, produced by Fashion Revolution each year, found that only a quarter of major brands publish measurable targets on reducing the use of textiles deriving from virgin fossil fuels. In addition, more than 15,000 chemicals can be used during the textile manufacturing process, from the raw materials through to dyeing and finishing, yet only 30% of brands disclose their commitment to eliminating the use of hazardous chemicals from our clothes. What’s more, textiles are the largest source of both primary and secondary microplastics, accounting for 34.8% of global microplastic pollution, with around 700,000 microfibres being released in every wash cycle, just 21% of brands explain what they are doing to minimise the shedding of microfibres.
The philosophy behind the Textile Garden is to see the potential in the resources we have on our doorstep and exploring how we can utilise them in more creative ways, showcasing native UK wildflowers and sowing a seed of curiosity about the materials, dyes, and chemicals in our clothes.
The Textile Garden grew out of the RHS wanting to see more flower-based gardens at the show and receiving funding from Project Giving Back. Lottie was selected to design one of the gardens. VEIL and Dragon Capital were delighted to support a project that was looking to increase the biodiversity on display at Chelsea. They were also pleased to be able to welcome clients to an “after hours” tour of the garden at the show, hosted by a Director of VEIL, Sarah Arkle, and Thao Ngo Thanh, Portfolio Manager, who is based in Vietnam. Professor Ben Groom, The Dragon Capital Chair of the Economics of Biodiversity at Exeter University, was also in attendance as the University works very closely with Fashion Revolution.