I have yet to see their eco sci-fi film Kepler 62F, but I am so excited about Vin+ Omi’s latest collection ‘Future Flowers’, which includes collaborations with HRH the Prince of Wales and Team GB. In fact, the Olympic athletes also walked in the show! Vin+Omi way of working is novel its not about doing collections for sales as such they work on action based projects and collaborations to find a solution to what boils down to eradicating waste.
The theme is the future of the planet, which is currently suffering drastic changes. But how will these changes affect human life in the future, as well as that of the plants and flowers. Future Flowers explores these thoughts and predicts how natural beauty will morph and change, capturing this in their dress shapes and prints in true Vin+Omi style. Of course, some species will die out and others will be deformed.
And Vin+Omi have explored this concept as well, playing with these ideas throughout the collection. Because it is Vin+Omi, there will always be innovative materials. And the Future Flowers collection is no different, showcasing the label’s new copper foil fabric – which is made from waste copper wire from the electricity industry – as well as echonew, a new hybrid neoprene fabric made from recycled neoprene wetsuits. The collection also features no-kill fleece pieces, dyed with their own natural plant dyes. Continuing the label’s sustainable commitments
Future Flowers also uses recycled plastic fabrics made using plastic collected through the Vin +Omi Foundation river clean-up schemes on the River Severn and the Thames. For this fashion show, the label brings together 21 years of research into new eco-textiles and creative eco-projects. The non-stop duo behind the label, held their show at held in London’s Dorchester hotel, marking the launch of the Vin+Omi Dorchester sustainable collaboration.
photo by Pietro Recchia
As designers in residence at the hotel, they will be exploring a range of creative ways in which they can develop sustainable projects and processes. Vin+Omi are launching further collaboration with Johnstons of Elgin, and for the show five of the outfits and bags featured on the catwalk were made from factory off-cuts from the leading traditional Scottish textile and fashion company.
Vin +Omi have also collaborated with DALER ROWNEY and the printed garments on the catwalks are made from textile recycled from waste paint tubes from the art supplies brand. The set was also designed using DALER ROWNEY materials and was made by Oxford Brookes University students, who will repurpose it after the show as part of their sustainable project.
Another new collaboration is with MOLTO GROUP, to explore how they can recycle waste from the hospitality and entertainment industries. In conjunction with MOLTO GROUP, they are also looking at ways in which the waste plastic from events can be re purposed into clothing and other items.