Reskillience Slow Textile Revival with the makers of The Nettle Dress
One of today’s guests spent seven years spinning a dress from stinging nettles and the other spent five years documenting the process. The result was the incredibly moving documentary The Nettle Dress — which I have now seen twice — co-created by Dylan Howitt and Allan Brown.
It’s a love letter to old skills, hand crafts and everything that cannot be hurried; to fibersheds, foraged threads, gentle stories, and the magic of following your heart.
Dylan Howitt is a BAFTA nominated filmmaker whose roll call includes BBC, Netflix and Discovery. Allan Brown is a textile artist and subject of the film whose steady commitment to disrupting consumer culture is contagious.
It’s hard to sing The Nettle Dress’s praises highly enough without shattering a window, but I truly hope you’re moved to watch it after this conversation, perhaps with a posse of pals and a cauldron of nettle soup.
🧙♀️ LINKY POOS
***Watch The Nettle Dress***
The Nettle Dress’s home on the web