This autumn, Kew Gardens is turning the spotlight on the fashion industry with a new festival that champions sustainability through plants, fungi and design.

Running from 20 September to 2 November, Material World will transform the Temperate House into an immersive space where visitors can explore the relationship between what we wear and the natural world.

According to Kew, an estimated 80 to 100 billion garments are produced globally each year, with nearly 90% ending up in landfills or incinerated.

Kew say the festival invites people to rethink their wardrobes and consider fashion's environmental impact.

The festival features work from London College of Fashion alumni and students, showcasing pioneering plant- and fungi-based textiles.

Lottie Delamain Chelsea garden (credit: Dave Watts).

Highlights include:

• Silvia Acién's regenerative knitwear made from pineapple fibres, nettles and grasses, dyed with natural pigments.
• Eirinn Hayhow's herb-infused puffers and garments using plant leathers and crystals to support wellbeing.
• Jessie Von Curry & Vega Hertel's textiles woven from sustainably sourced Scottish seaweed.
• Beth Williams' compostable knitwear designed to decompose naturally back into the soil.

Dye process (credit: Jake Sugden).

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Dr Jessica Bugg, Dean at the London College of Fashion, said: "This partnership with Kew has enabled our students to connect through our shared priorities of sustainability and wellbeing for people and the planet."

Among the festival's headline installations is Between Earth and Sky by artist Nnenna Okore, suspended 20 metres high inside the Temperate House, crafted entirely from biodegradable materials.

Nnenna Okore in the Temperate House (credit: RBG Kew).

Other new commissions include:

• Global Threads by designer Lottie Delamain, a planted garden showcasing plants used historically for dyes and fibres.
• Threads of the Canopy, a collaborative textile map of Kew made with community groups using natural dyes.
• How Cotton Became King, an audio-visual installation tracing cotton's links to colonialism and capitalism by artist Michael McMillan.
• What the Fibres Remember, a multimedia piece amplifying the voices of artisans from Colombia, India and Peru.

Paul Denton, Director of Creative Programming at RBG Kew, commented: "Material World explores the transformative potential of plants and fungi in fashion.

"By highlighting the connection between natural materials and clothing, we hope to inspire positive change in how we consume and think about fashion."

Lottie Delamain garden design (credit: RBG Kew).

Kew's festival is supported by Cazenove Capital, whose CEO Oliver Gregson said: "Sustainability is one of the defining challenges of our generation. We are proud to support Kew's leadership in pioneering nature-based solutions."

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To learn more about Material World and Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew click here.

READ MORE: Kew Gardens unveils new Carbon Garden to spotlight nature’s role in climate action

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