Fashion designer Jacob Olmedo showcased his wearable garden collection at the Parsons graduate fashion show in New York City.
Parsons' specialized fashion program takes an experimental and international approach to fashion. Olmendo's collection consists of three pieces which appear to be living gardens fashioned as clothing with the intention to promote the connectivity between the human world and the natural world.
The collection is an act of activism, and speaks to mass species extinction and climate change, while exploring "the political and social implications of the environment through the eyes of a bee." The assemblages are an expression of growth, and act conceptually as "environmental armor" which was made through the engineering of a textile that supports plant growth and life. The materiel combines layers of beeswax and blend fibre-holding materiel so the plants could flourish.
Jacob Olmedo's 'Wearable Garden' is an "interactive form of environmental activism."
Wearable Garden Garments
Jacob Olmedo's 'Wearable Garden' Combines the Human and the Natural World
Trend Themes
1. Wearable Garden Clothing - Opportunity for fashion designers to incorporate living gardens into clothing as a means of promoting the connectivity between humans and the natural world.
2. Activist Fashion - Growing trend of using fashion as a form of activism, focusing on raising awareness about mass species extinction and climate change.
3. Bioengineered Textiles - Emerging trend of creating textiles that support plant growth and life, opening up possibilities for innovative materials in various industries.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion - The fashion industry can explore incorporating living gardens into their designs as a way to make a statement about sustainability and environmental activism.
2. Environmental Activism - Environmental organizations and activists can collaborate with fashion designers to raise awareness about important issues through wearable garden garments.
3. Textile Manufacturing - Manufacturers in the textile industry can invest in bioengineered textiles to create innovative products that support plant growth and have environmental benefits.