In collaboration with ACIEN
A garment grown from grass root, naturally dyed with madder and structurally supported by esparto grass stems.
Blurring the boundaries between craft, design, fashion and biology
London-based fashion brand ACIEN collaborated with ROOTFULL to create a garment made, almost entirely, from grasses. Wheatgrass root was grown into textured patterns and naturally dyed with red madder. Esparto grasses were hand-stitched into frames to lend structure and volume.
Both ROOTFULL and ACIEN journey towards conscious luxury fashion, striving to craft pieces that rediscover forgotten materials and invent and cultivate new ones.
Initial design, featuring 8 petals around the body representing the blooming of a flower
Root materials, naturally dyed with madder, showing variations of reds and oranges
Wrapped esparto grasses - historically esparto was used to make rope before jute was industrialised. Later on, it became popular for crafting baskets across Mediterranean countries. Acien integrates esparto into their couture pieces, creating contemporary, high-fashion expression while honouring the female genealogy and ancestral knowledge.