The Fashion Footprint Garden

In more detail

• The dramatic zig-zag screening at the back of the space is made from environmentally responsible materials: sustainable timber framing is entwined with recycled fibre fabrics
• Two round Corten-steel barrels are reminiscent of the vats that are used in the indigo-dyeing process in India and Asia; interestingly, the amount of water here represents the amount used to make a single pair of jeans. Planting abounds with flowering echinaceas, achilleas and silver birch trees

About the garden

The Fashion Footprint Garden focuses on the impact the fashion and textile industries have on the environment and some of the steps being taken to mitigate the impact.
 
The garden takes inspiration from the textile dyeing pits seen in India and Asia. The sunken area contains a water feature with two Corten-steel barrels reminiscent of the dye vats used in the indigo-dyeing process. The volume of water here equates to that used to make a single pair of jeans.

The garden incorporates textile waste in the form of gabions filled with old clothes. Buttons are used for gravel. The boundary fences are made from sustainable timber woven with fabric made from recycled fibres.
 
The planting is naturalistic and colourful and softens the hard edges of the Corten-steel planters. All the herbaceous plants can be used to make natural dyes, which help reduce water pollution in the industry. The trees and shrubs are species that are highly efficient in filtering air pollution, such as the silver birch trees and yew domes.

With special thanks to Totally Buttons.