UNESCO Biosphere

In 2019 the Isle of Wight became one of only seven UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in the UK and, in 2023, a Biosphere committee was formed to help organisations and individuals increase their “biosphere thinking”.

The aspect that I find particularly interesting about the Island being a Biosphere Reserve is the importance of not just the natural environment, but more specifically how the people on the island interact sympathetically with nature.

It’s not difficult to choose a beautiful environment to move to and live in, but what proves to be more tricky, especially in this technologically advanced era, is choosing to live harmoniously within that beautiful environment.

Man and The Biosphere Programme (MAB) is an intergovernmental scientific programme which aims to establish a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships between people and their environments. Being surrounded by sea, I view the island as the perfect location for a Circular Economy. I’m interested in the idea of what is already on the island, staying on the island, making a circular journey around the land without the need for transportation over the water.

However, residents desire novelty as much as anyone else, so taking plain second hand clothes and re-designing them into desirable garments by hand painting designs onto them seemed like a good place to start in terms of keeping fashion circular on the island.

As is the case with many a creative, the urge to expand and experiment within one’s practice soon materialises and I found myself wanting to design some clothes from scratch.  However, the idea of buying fabric for this purpose didn’t sit well with me in terms of not wanting to “produce” in the conventional sense of the word.

I had an old white cotton sheet, which I used to cut a pattern and I dyed the fabric with avocado (more of that later). I then started wondering what happened to the old sheets from hotels and B&Bs on the island. Having run a B&B myself I know that one small defect on any item of bedding renders it unfit for purpose. This is where the collaboration between myself (Maslen Fashion) and Curated Spaces was born.

I take any slightly damaged bedding, which could be a tiny tear, or a small tea stain, and use the fabric to make clothes and zip purses. I’ve also been experimenting with natural dyes, which again feeds into protecting the environment as any colour which may come out in the wash is plant based,  so no chemicals or synthetic dyes enter the waterways.  Avocado skins and stones make a beautiful soft pink dye when gently heated.

I’m about to embark upon a three month project looking at Victorian architecture and quintessentially English sea-side themes, which will be incorporated into my hand painted designs. I am also going to experiment with some Autumnal plants such as sloes, blackberries and acorns, to make some different coloured dyes.

Using all the elements, earth, fire, water and air creates a kind of alchemical magic which gets embedded within the fibers of the fabric. This is difficult to explain in writing, but when you see the naturally dyed fabric next to something synthetic,  the difference in quality jumps out at you.

Using decommissioned bedding also lends a certain romanticism to the clothes, with memories held within the fabric of happy holidays and personal stories.

The clothes I’m designing are uncomplicated, free flowing, yet structured, as the folds and how the fabric hangs plays an important part in the design process. The project will culminate in an exhibition and a talk about my creative process in October, to be held somewhere in Ventnor (venue to be confirmed). I want to show the final pieces in Ventnor as it has strong affiliations with good health and clean air. As a child growing up in London I was actually prescribed, by the doctor, a two week holiday in Ventnor, to recuperate after a bout of childhood illnesses.

The Isle of Wight is a magical place.  Even more so now that it is recognised as a Biosphere Reserve, which is encouraging individuals and businesses alike to preserve and promote this status for future generations to enjoy for years to come.