My granddaughter recently visited Cornwall for a family wedding, and while she was here, I seized the chance to ask if she would model the teabag dress once more. Out on the windswept Hayle dunes, Thalia said yes with her usual grace, and together we made the photoshoot happen despite the blustery weather.
This time, I had forgotten the headpiece, but we improvised beautifully. With the corset, belt, skirt, and accessories, all hand-crafted from used teabags, the dress was handwoven and stitched with care, just as stories and responsibilities are bound together. We created a fresh new look, and Thalia embodied the spirit of the dress with confidence and charm. Compared to her first time wearing it, she stood taller, stronger, and more assured. Watching her carry a creation that means so much to me was both proud and emotional.
The teabag dress began as part of a project led by Professor Allen Alexander, co-author with Olga Kokshagina of The Radical Innovation Playbook: A Practical Guide for Harnessing New, Novel, or Game-Changing Breakthroughs. Its purpose has always been clear: to demonstrate sustainability, creativity, and the hidden value in materials so often discarded as waste. I am proud to tell you that Professor Alexander even introduced the dress during conversations at the House of Lords, where sustainability and environmental responsibility take centre stage.
Part of the meaning behind the dress is also deeply symbolic. As a wedding gown, it serves as a metaphor for marriage and the responsibility that vows carry. Just as a marriage is a commitment to care for one another, the dress reminds us of the importance of caring for our planet and recognising the value in what we often overlook.
This week, the dress continues its journey beyond my studio walls as part of the collective show Clay, Canvas and Threads at The Poly in Falmouth. Here, alongside other artists exploring materiality and storytelling, the dress shares its message of sustainability and transformation. Each exhibition adds new meaning, as visitors bring their own reflections on what it means to reimagine the overlooked and to transform the ordinary into something extraordinary.
For me, the teabag dress has become more than an artwork. It is a visual reminder that beauty can be found in what others dismiss, that waste can become wonder, and that fashion can carry a message of care for our planet.
One day, I hope to see this dress walk a prestigious catwalk, perhaps even at the V&A, as a testament to innovation, sustainability, and the quiet but powerful role of art in inspiring change. Until then, it lives here on the dunes, in my granddaughter’s laughter, in the galleries that host it, and in the ever-growing story of Nettle Revolution.
🎥 Watch the dress in motion: YouTube Shorts – Teabag Dress on the Dunes
🌿 If you are near Cornwall this week, I warmly invite you to visit The Poly in Falmouth to see the teabag dress as part of Clay, Canvas and Threads. And if you cannot be there in person, you can still follow the journey of the dress and the wider vision of Nettle Revolution through my blog, workshops, and future exhibitions. Together, we can celebrate creativity, responsibility, and the beauty of giving waste a second life.
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