WARDROBE REVOLUTION WEEKEND: JUSTINE ALDERSEY-WILLIAMS
Justine Aldersey-Williams is a textile activist and educator specialising in botanical dyes. She is Director of The Wild Dyery, where she devises creative rituals that inspire reverence for the environment. She has developed a comprehensive training in natural fabric dyeing which has reached 3000+ students in over 40 countries and is a guest lecturer and speaker at industry events including talks for Fashion Revolution, The RSA, Friends of the Earth, and she featured in the ‘Field to Fashion’ episode of BBC1’s Countryfile.
Justine is also the Co-founder and Regional Coordinator of Northern England Fibreshed – a collective of professionals developing a decentralised, regenerative textile system based around the usage of ‘local fibres, local dyes and local labour’.
Justine will be joining us for this year's Wardrobe Revolution Weekend to talk about her poignant work, in particular, Homegrown Homespun, an experiment aiming to bring indigo linen jeans to market via Patrick Grant's social enterprise Community Clothing. As the entire planet slowly recognises the need to transition away from fossil fuels (and fashion) and an economic system reliant upon ecocide, the team have navigated many challenges resulting in inevitable compromises and incremental improvements, highlighting how regeneration is more about the slowing down process than any end product. With the addition of arts commissioning organisation SuperSlow Way and a team of community volunteers, in April 2021 they planted their first flax and woad crops and so began a rollercoaster exploration into regenerative textiles.
To explore the deeper implications of regenerative practice, this year Justine has undertaken the tandem #WomanGrowsJeans challenge and during her talk will share the lessons she’s learnt from growing, spinning, dyeing, weaving and sewing with these iconic plants. She hopes to be wearing her handmade jeans alongside Patrick in his commercially manufactured version at this October’s British Textile Biennial.
Wardrobe Revolution Weekend will be held on Saturday 4 November 2023. An online event hosted on Zoom. The event will be recorded.
Book your ticket and be part of the conversation:
www.selvedge.org/products/wardrobe-revolution-weekend
Images courtesy of Justine Aldersey-Williams
Find out more and follow Justine Aldersey-Williams:
naturalfabricdyeing.com
@justinecreates