In March someone slipped some flyers into the shop for a film and Q & A at our acclaimed local cinema in Brixton, The Ritzy. The film is called The Nettle Dress. 

The preceding week, I'd gone to a similar Q & A event at The Ritzy for Fashion Reimagined, a beautifully shot film about London designer Amy Powney's mission to fully understand what she is producing 'from field to finished garment'.  At Lowie, we've been on a similar journey over the past 20 years but Amy has taken her brand's traceability to another level and this was an inspiring reminder that we can always do better on the sustainability front. You can read more about our sustainability here.

Stirred by Fashion Reimagined, I signed up to see The Nettle Dress with my good friend and designer Kate Sheridan. The event filled up the Ritzy's 350 seat iconic Edwardian auditorium for its first ever London screening. 

It's the story of textile artist Allan Brown's 7 year journey of foraging nettles local to his Brighton home, then mindfully and meticulously extracting, spinning and weaving these fibres into a wearable piece and in the process healing himself of his wife's death.  A labour of love in the truest sense, The Nettle Dress is a modern-day fairytale and hymn to the healing power of nature and a celebration of slow craft.

I love the idea that cloth can be made from a freely available plant whose overarching reputation is as a weed.  Where before, I only saw a spiky, unfriendly plant, my relationship with nettles has completely changed.

If you're at all interested in craft, foraging and ancient British rituals you will be interested in seeing The Nettle Dress. This Earth Day, Saturday April 22nd, you can stream it from the comfort of your living room at 6pm. Sign up from the link below to watch it and let me know what you think.

https://watch.eventive.org/nettledress/play/642427a9a64c600039d14072