STYLEPARK TEXPERTISE
Weaving a new mindset

Anna Moldenhauer: What are you currently working on?

Caroline Hyde Brown: I'm growing a select variety of drought-resistant grasses, flowers and plants on my meadowland to use in my work. I'm currently planting seeds and preparing the flower beds and soil for the rest of the year. For the woven pieces, I mainly harvest grasses such as steppe fescue and for twining I grow huge clumps of Sedum and dogwood. If you want to weave with plant fibres, the time at which they are harvested is crucial. Fortunately, the development of the drought-resistant plants is quite predictable, they cope well with both waterlogged and extremely dry soils and are resistant to diseases and pests. They also overwinter wonderfully showing off their sculptural beauty in the low winter sunlight. I have looms and frames in several sizes, some of which I built myself. On these, I experiment with the plant material to use it for the two thread runs ‘weft’ and ‘warp’ (editor's note: the thread running crosswise is called ‘weft’, the threads running lengthwise are called ‘warp’). The smallest more portable weaving frame however, measuring just 15 centimetres, is my favourite size. On this one, for example, I use either hemp, nettle or cotton fibres for the ‘warp’ to encourage strength and elasticity.

Did you initially carry out tests to find out which grasses are ideal for processing on the loom?

Caroline Hyde Brown: The growth studies are observational and I have several shelves in my studio that I over winter and dry some of the plants. Thematic research is inspired by my botanical study of the plants and their origin and behaviour. Depending on the seasons and weather they grow differently each year and there are no guarantees. I just try to relax into the temperate climate in the UK and I live on a windy and exposed site. After harvesting most plants can take up to six months to dry out so I have a cyclical practice that closely aligns itself to the four seasons that we have here in the UK.

You also work with free machine embroidery. How can I imagine that?

Caroline Hyde Brown: I specialise in a stitch called vermicelli, to which I add a modern twist. The stitching is barely visible in the work because I use a transparent to look as if they are floating on the tulle or the finer mulberry paper.

These works are very delicate. How long does the process take from the idea to completion?

Caroline Hyde Brown: For my making time I can sometimes spend anything from four hours to days or weeks for the bigger pieces. The research and preparation of my materials before I begin to stitch, or weave is particularly time-consuming. If you add all of this together, the process can sometimes take months. Then there is the attention to detail: I studied fashion design, I'm enthusiastic about drapery and how natural materials such as moss and lichen behave with the different consistencies of thread or yarn. Over the years I have become accustomed to surprise results and I allow myself to give in to the natural way in which the materials behave underneath the sewing machine.

You have worked as a textile print designer and textile designer in the industry. How did you combine your industrial perspective on textiles with your appreciation of nature?

Caroline Hyde Brown: In 1995 I took part in the New Designers exhibition at the Business Design Centre in Islington, exhibiting a range of embroidered fabrics and lighting. My work won the Graduate Showcase Award. This gave me the impetus to apply for a scholarship to take part in the Knitting and Stitch Shows in Dublin, Harrogate and Alexandra Palace in London. After graduating, I was also able to attend a business seminar by the late Dr Janet Summerton through the Arts Council, which was very helpful for my entry into self-employment. I started almost immediately working on simple design ideas with gerbera petals, silks and gypsophelia to recreate surfaces with plant fibres, created Stories for Valentines Day and Spring seasonal collections for Liberty PLC London and the John Lewis Partnership UK as well as commissions for the Japanese department stores' Takashimaya.

Should the fashion industry take a closer look at the traditional knowledge of fibres and plants?

Caroline Hyde Brown: I think there is still a long way to go. The current industry follows the rule of maximising profit and minimising time. Nevertheless, there are niches with creative people who are carving out other paths. I am convinced that the next generations will be the ones who pioneer sustainable fashion to promote balance and harmony in our natural resources. Colour perfection and big low-cost fashion chains will not disappear from the market currently, they are too entrenched.

Is AI a topic in this process?

Caroline Hyde Brown: At a recent fashion show I saw an AI-generated outfit made from the natural composite material hempcrete. Although it could be argued that it is improving efficiency, cutting down waste and is an advocate for sustainable practice, I am not convinced. With this digitized approach we are not only shifting our focus away from the need for sustainable practice, but are in danger of focusing too heavily on the latest developments rather than the appreciation of heritage hand crafted textiles and people. This leads to a risk of homogenization, which could lead to a reduction in individuality and creativity as well as quality and appeal.

You are interested in Japanese techniques, such as the idea of ‘mokume’. What fascinates you about it?

Caroline Hyde Brown: ‘Mokume’ describes an embroidery ‘wood grain’ stitch. I was fortunate to travel along the east and west coast of Japan whilst working for Takashimaya and became entrenched in the culture and I studied Ikebana which is translated into giving life to flowers’. This Japanese art of flower arrangement inspired me with my own creative practice and over the years I have called it ‘recreation through preservation’. Ikebana floral designs are typically crafted with seasonal flowers and other natural materials such as leaves and branches which are carefully recreated to give aesthetic form and balance. I also met a 3rd generation dye sensei master and I would visit his studio in the evenings to look at the way in which he revived a number of ancient dyeing techniques to create a whole spectrum of colours.

You work together with plant scientists, for example to produce textiles from grass peas, a cultivated plant. What is the current status?

Caroline Hyde Brown: In 2017, there was a huge cyclone in India that displaced around a million people. The only plant that survived the flood of salt water was the grass pea. This inspired me to research the properties of the plant. I would have liked to present the findings on alternative forms of paper production in the Sundarbans in India, but due to the pandemic I was unable to source extra funding for my overseas travel. In the meantime, I have started making paper from lentils, soya beans and chickpeas and sharing my knowledge about the production and processing of drought-resistant plants through teaching. In Norwich, not far from where I live in Norfolk, there is the world-renowned John Innes Research Centre. From 2019-2021, I was fortunate to work with two scientists whose research focused on gene editing and modern breeding methods to reduce a toxin within the plant called ODAP. This vital research paves the way for a more diversified and climate resilient food system in the future.

What else is the aim of the ‘Waste not’ research project?

Caroline Hyde Brown: This was a fantastic collaboration called New Landscapes which is an international programme and catalyst grant scheme in partnership with University of Arts London (UAL) Fashion, Textiles and Technology Department. My colleague Ummi Junid from Dunia Motif is based in Malaysia and the UK and is a batik artist and natural dyer. We had worked before this time on a project called Trash to Treasure so it felt only natural to approach her to work on this study of the potential in food waste. For the project, we analysed food waste from the UK and Malaysia by performing many different natural dye processes. We only had six months, but during this time we realised several workshops and an exhibition as well as a final written report. I used vegetable mordant to fix the colour to the fabric and Ummi used alum and salt. It was a pilot project and gave us several exciting insights.

Could these findings be translated into industrial processes?

Caroline Hyde Brown: The colours were not perfect enough for industrial use because the batches we produced were on a very small scale. In addition, the process for collecting and processing the food waste would also have had to be modified in terms of health and safety. The technology has been developed, so in theory we could use food waste to dye clothes. There are many start-ups out there and research both into alternative waste streams both for the dyes and the coatings that are applied afterwards to the fabrics. In years to come I am sure we will see a shift towards using innovative biomaterials. Yet the fashion industry remains stubbornly linear, hugely wasteful and polluting with the ‘take make and waste model’ that is responsible for twenty percent of global pollution. This ‘pilot phase’ is absurd when you consider that we are capable of flying people to the moon with findings into cellulosic materials, remaining primarily scientific and laboratory based.

Was there a finding in this research that surprised you?

Caroline Hyde Brown: Oh yes, there were many surprises. Especially regarding the mordant. I studied many plant species that are rich in cellulose and tannin. Tannin as an ingredient to add to a dye bath was something I wanted to explore. Plants such as nettle, herb robert, cow parsley, comfrey were mixed with tea bags, banana skins, waste grape extract and onion skins all produced an interesting array of colours. rape extract mixed with tannin. Although the project is now complete, I still carry out further studies in my own space at home in the garden and the studio. I am always looking for new opportunities and funding to further the research. The colour from food waste could also be used in the manufacture of furniture, for example. Wood is rich in tannin, which favours the absorption and fixation of plant colour. It would therefore be fantastic to develop a range of furniture using this colouring technique.

What would you like to research in the next ten years?

Caroline Hyde Brown: I would like to continue my research into botany and plants and complete my diploma in Botany. Hopefully my book, Forage & Stitch that was published in 2023 will encourage others to explore the wonder of our natural resources in the practice of textiles. In the next ten years I would love to see fashion houses adopting practices such as using food waste for dye colours as well as architects, furniture and product designers emphasising the importance of energy efficiency, renewable materials and holistic design approaches. Sustainability is an essential part of facing current and future global challenges, I am passionate about how my own creative practice should reflect environmental, social and economic challenges.