Living in a World of Materials: Exploring Five Aspects of Our Tangible Surroundings in the Realm of Arts and Antiques
The Material World art, fashion, and culture festival is set to take place at Kew Gardens in London, from September 20 to November 2, 2025. The festival, located in the Temperate House, promises a unique blend of art, fashion, and sustainable practices.
Artistic Inspiration and Unique Transformations
Rose Hilton, a former student at the Royal College of Art, is one of the artists on display. Much of Hilton's inspiration came from male painters such as Henri Matisse and Pierre Bonnard, but her work is a unique transformation into a new vocabulary. Her abstract and figurative paintings, which reflect a female gaze on females and a color palette that reflects her inspiration, can be seen at Messum's, London SW1, until October 3.
David Messum Fine Art has taken on Hilton's estate and has been documenting and selling her work since her death in 2019. Interestingly, Hilton would often paint a picture, roll it up, and put it under her sofa, with many of these works discovered after her death.
Sustainable Fashion and Design
The festival also features sustainable collections from young designers from the London College of Fashion. These collections include sea-weed trousers, mycelium T-shirts, a 'growable' yarn, garments made of pineapple fibre, and garments dyed with nettle.
Lottie Delamain has designed a garden using plants suitable for sustainable fashion, including cotton and indigo. The garden is bordered by waste from fast-fashion textiles, highlighting the environmental impact of the fashion industry.
Exploring the History and Environmental Impact of Cotton
Artist Michael McMillan creates audio installations exploring the history and environmental impact of cotton at the festival. The League of Artisans also celebrates worldwide artisans using plant fibres at the Material World festival.
Nnenna Okore has created an installation with wing-like shapes made from organic cotton, hessian, and cheesecloth for the festival.
Festival Highlights and Magazine Articles
The full articles from page 124 of the September 17, 2025 edition of the platform magazine are reproduced below due to a printing error. The original page of the magazine can be downloaded as a PDF.
Carla Passino became the Arts & Antiquities editor for our platform in 2023, having previously covered heritage, conservation, history, and property stories. However, information about who was the head of the Art and Antiquities department at the platform in 2023 could not be found in the search results.
The Material World festival is not just a celebration of art and fashion, but also a call to action for sustainability. With its unique exhibits, installations, and sustainable fashion collections, it promises to be an unforgettable experience for all who attend.
