Future Fashion Landscapes: Fostering biodiversity through collaborations between farmers, designers, and processors of native and rare breed wool

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Fashion and agriculture are among the industries with the highestclimate footprint - through over-consumption of finite resources,aggregated CO2 emissions, widespread ecosystem pollution andresulting extensive biodiversity loss. There is enormous potential forimpact through improved practice and a major paradigm shift in bothsectors. This design-led R&D partnership between fashion researchersfrom UAL's Centre for Sustainable Fashion and the South East England(SEE) and South West England (SWE) Fibresheds foregrounds thepotential of fostering diverse, healthy ecosystems and increasedbiodiversity alongside supporting sustainable rural economies andbio-regional textiles networks. The partnership builds on the regionallinks created during the research team's previous project 'Beyond NetZero Goals: Regenerative fashion design for micro-circular ruralecosystems' funded in the DEP pilot scheme (2021-22).Within the overarching biodiversity theme, this project focuses on thefibre production and biodiversity enhancement potential of farmsadopting regenerative principles, while operating landscape-specificgrazing and restoration programmes with native and rare breed sheep.Sustaining thriving populations of native breeds is among the keybiodiversity indicators of the UK Government Biodiversity Strategy forEngland (Indicator 12a: Animal genetic resources, DEFRA 2023(https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/england-biodiversity*indicators)).The vision of the SEE and SWE affiliates of the international Fibershedmovement is to provide viable solutions for the shift from long,opaque fashion and textiles supply chains, towards short, transparentbio-regional fibre and fashion supply networks with potential forscaling through replication. The organisations' current priority, basedon extensive stakeholder consultation during 2020-22, is to facilitatebetter understanding between farmers and designers to improveavailability and uptake of high-quality local fibre. The focus is on woolwhich, unlike plant fibres, is still produced in the UK in abundance yetits potential for application in apparel production is insufficientlyunderstood. As a result, this renewable fibre source is undervalued,underutilised and often discarded. This project will enhance visibilityand comprehension of UK-sourced native and rare breed wool, thusopening up new opportunities for valuable income streams, withbenefits for rural economies plus landscape conservation andbiodiversity enhancement.The partnership will test methods of collaboration and design researchthat aim to:Advance the understanding of properties and biodiversity benefits of bio-regional native and rare breed wool production in the SEE and SWE and beyond, through the pilot implementation of SEE & SWE Fibresheds' new Farming Fashion Toolkit.Develop experimental design prototypes that embody the experience of 'wearing the landscape', providing a tangible proofof-concept that can facilitate access to further R&D and funding for farmers and designers.Facilitate future innovation and collaboration opportunities forfarmers, designers, and processors of fibre and textiles throughimproved mutual understanding of requirements and productioncycles when working with local landscapes, animals and naturalrhythms.The project will support the SEE and SWE Fibresheds' mission byintroducing skills in design, making and fashion designentrepreneurship, building capacity for extensive experimentation totest innovative possibilities for regenerative fashion practice withinrural ecosystems and urban design centres. LCF's recent move to theEast Bank Campus offers exceptional opportunities for publicengagement and mobilising the thriving East London designcommunity for this purpose.