A year of nature encounters and fashion systems through Fletcher’s Almanac
Guess the month. During this month, fast-fashion giant Shein refused in Parliament to disclose facts about cotton in their supply chain, all the while fires in Kantamanto market destroyed 8,000 livelihoods. In the first ten days of this month, the world’s richest 1% have already used up their share of the 2025 carbon budget, something which would take someone from the poorest 50% three years to actualise. Concurrently, wildfires spread in California, to such a devastating extend, that more than 150,000 people have been displaced.
The month is January.
It is perhaps no wonder then, that my climate anxiety has been at its worst this month. A consternation of the polar opposites described – where large corporations and the wealthy continue on as normal, while others feel devastation first hand. This has created a deeply rooted need to retreat into nature more and more. The mountain I live on in Wales, is already sprouting snowdrops and amongst everything that is happening in the world, this provides hope that despite everything, nature continues.
Fletcher’s Almanac
Image shows Professor Kate Fletcher, a white woman with dark brown hair. Kate is wearing a yellow jacket over a black top and relaxed grey trousers. The background has trees. Credit: Jack Grange
Conceivably, it was at just the right time that I sat down to read Fletcher’s Almanac, by Professor Kate Fletcher, which went some way to soothe my anxiety and reminded me that amongst the cataclysmic it is still possible to reimagine other ways of being and doing. This is perhaps what Fletcher is best at. As someone who has been at the forefront of systems change and fashion as localism, with fourteen books under her belt, Fletcher has once again delivered on something that feels pivotal.
Typically an annual publication, an almanac contains key dates, along with data such as weather forecasts and tide tables, organised in a calendar format. Taking this one step further, Fletcher’s Almanac acts as a device to view the interdependency between fashion and nature, whereby nature is seen as the starting point and not just a resource for fashion to exploit.
In short vignettes and full of hopeful predictions, the book takes the reader through the passing of time, focusing on nature and fashion through the seasons. The seasons being important in the slow-fashion space and something I have long talked about in the use of fibres such as wool. When working within planetary boundaries, there is a prerequisite to lean into the seasons, acting therefore as a precursor for work to transpire at a far slower pace. Slowing down too offers a chance to be more thoughtful with what we notice, whether that is a tree unfurling its leaves, to a hole to be darned in a favourite jumper, as Fletcher explains.
Q: Congratulations on what feels like a pivotal book for 2025! Where did the idea originate to create an Almanac for nature encounters and fashion systems through the year?
Thank you! I have been writing short diary entries of nature experiences and the role of clothes in them for years. The idea for the Almanac came from a conversation I had with a friend of mine, Rachael… and the rest is, as they say, geography!
Q. Can you delve further into the interdependency between fashion, nature and place for those who are yet to read the book?
Natural systems are the starting point and ending point for fashion – it is out of earth-hewn materials that clothes are made, and earth is ultimately where they go to die. The physical interdependencies of fashion systems and natural systems are therefore self-evident – and these are being tested, extracted, exploited, diminished and more, with the sorts of effects that you mention in your introduction and which many would rather not think about. This reveals another interdependency (or maybe the lack of it!) which is our ways of thinking that shape how we see nature.
If, like me, you were born and raised in the Global North, then this is likely to involve seeing nature as ‘resources’, for use by and for humans with few limits, in an evident expression of a hierarchy where humans, and fashion, are at the top of the pile and nature is at the bottom. This fuels a process of nature separation, which environmental philosophers have long identified as at the root of the problem of unsustainability. So in this book, the aim is to build connections, new language and fluency of nature, practical experience of limits to fashion activities, understanding of what we can do as dressed bodies to unveil more interdependencies, probably in ways not imagined before – and for these to change us on a fundamental level. The goal is to see ourselves as part of, not apart from, the earth.
Q. This book felt incredibly raw, giving the reader an insight into the unique way in which you view fashion and nature. Was the writing process for this particular piece of work any different to your usual method?
Ah, well I have been writing about nature and clothing for more than a decade now, drawing on my own experiences, not because I am interesting (I am not), but because these experiences are often common experiences that resonate in others’ lives – and therefore become a way to enable action. Raw writing, full of vulnerability, possibility, experiments, hopefulness always cuts through. They say, don’t they, that in order to hear the signal, you have to cut out the noise. That’s what I try to do in this book.
Q. In a seemingly apocalyptic time when people may be feeling helpless, the line in your book, “[...] care is never finished. It is a politically charged process that calls for bodily involvement and hands-on action,” particularly spoke to me. Are you able to expand on the idea that caring for clothes, ultimately cares for the planet?
All of us care for something, someone or other. Maybe it’s a pet, a partner, a child, a parent. We know what caring is and we know what it feels like, and when we have too little of it. These same processes are what sustainability transformation calls for, including in fashion, a process of ongoing tending, attentiveness, giving. This is the work of repairing our world. Calling it care rather than sustainability action helps us to see what each of us can do. Clothing care is a wonderful place to start.
Q. The Almanac is peppered with predictions and call-to-actions. For one action you ask people to practice making the comparison between fashion shows and collections as imitations of breeding displays and nesting activities – suggesting the need to look for underlying motivations i.e. who ultimately benefits or is harmed by the process.
Were these call-to-actions consciously set out to explore in the book or did they come from the process of connecting with the thematics that come from being absorbed in the seasons?
A bit of both! Almanac’s often contain a horoscope, so I wanted to channel the future-shaping potential of a book to set some things in train. They can be used as intentions, as part of manifesting, or to make us do, be, know differently in clothes in the world.
Illustration shows a woman’s lower body dressed in a knee length skirt with black heels, which has been overlayed onto a lush mountain backdrop of greens and purples. Illustration by Danai Tsouloufa
A beautifully illustrated pocket-sized book to take with you on your forays into nature. This will be a limited edition, with the second volume of Fletcher’s Almanac coming next year.
Reflective, pivotal and pioneering – for all bookshelves (or oversized pockets) this 2025!
More about Professor Kate Fletcher - here
Published by Quickthorn
Illustrated by Danai Tsouloufa
Designed by Fraser Muggeridge studio
Interview by Meg Pirie
Victoria Jenkins, Founder of Unhidden, launches an adaptive fashion range with Primark
Primark has unveiled a new affordable 49-piece adaptive clothing range for men and women which includes wardrobe staples based on Primark’s bestsellers - all with features designed around the needs of disabled people.
The new collection, which has been developed with award-winning adaptive fashion designer and disability campaigner, Victoria Jenkins, founder of Unhidden, will be available from Tuesday 28th January in 31 stores nationwide and through the 113 UK stores offering Click & Collect.
The collection’s adaptive features are designed to make dressing simpler, from magnetic zippers and snap fastenings to waist loops that help to pull up trousers and hidden openings for tube, stoma or catheter access. There is also a range of options for people who are seated, such as wheelchair users. Created to reflect a diverse range of needs, the collection was shaped through a series of focus groups and hands-on fit sessions with members of the disabled community.
Despite 24% of people in the UK living with disability*, new research commissioned by Primark in partnership with the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers (RiDC), shows that 75% find it difficult to get accessible clothing. Seven out of ten (70%) of those surveyed state they must spend more on clothing that meets their needs while 80% say they feel excluded from buying fashionable clothes.
Commenting on the launch, Ann-Marie Cregan, Trading Director for Primark said:
“Primark has always stood for making affordable fashion accessible for everybody and every body. There are millions of people in the UK today whose needs aren’t being met on the high street. This collection is an important step in ensuring that more people can find clothes that help them to look and feel their best without the high price tag that often comes with more specialist items or having to invest in expensive alterations. We’ve developed a range that focuses on timeless wardrobe staples that are carefully designed to be versatile and affordable. It has been amazing to collaborate with Victoria and bring her expertise and experience in adaptive fashion design to our teams. From discreet magnetic closures and waist loops on this season’s denim, to hidden tube access and soft, friction-free pyjamas, we’ve worked hard to incorporate adaptive features without compromising on style or comfort.”
Victoria Jenkins, Adaptive fashion designer and founder of Unhidden added;
“It’s an incredibly proud moment to see this collection go live and see adaptive fashion come to the high street on this scale for the first time. Disabled people face lots of barriers in their lives and clothing shouldn’t be one of them. We don’t want to live in a uniform of jogging bottoms and t-shirts but often don’t have a choice. I hope this launch is a step in changing that narrative, bringing more choice to the high street. We’ve created pieces that are not only functional but fashionable and affordable, because everyone deserves to feel confident and stylish in what they wear. I hope this inspires the industry to continue moving toward greater accessibility and inclusivity for all.”
*Family Resources Survey: financial year 2022 to 2023
Online Event: Trump's second term: How will the new administration reorder US foreign policy?
The return of President Donald Trump to the White House represents a significant moment for both US foreign policy and geopolitics. Following Trump’s comprehensive election win, the incoming administration possess a strong mandate to pursue its foreign policy agenda.
Priorities for the returning Commander-in-Chief include the implementation of a strict tariff regime, notably targeting China, US support for Ukraine and involvement in the Israel-Gaza conflict. Beyond these three considerable geopolitical challenges, the returning President will look to shape a foreign policy platform grounded on ‘America First’ principles.
Following the inauguration, join the panel of experts at Chatham House to analyse President Trump’s remarks and take a look ahead at what to expect over the coming four years.
Copyright and Artificial Intelligence Consultation - Creative UK Survey
Deadline 22nd January 2025: Respond to Creative UK’s short survey on UK Government's consultation on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence.
On 17 December 2024, the UK Government published a consultation on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence, referring to large AI models that are trained on open source data. The consultation sets out the UK Government's plans to deliver a framework that “rewards human creativity, incentivises innovation and provides the legal certainty required for long-term growth” in both the tech and creative sectors. It identifies rights holders’ difficulty controlling the use of their works and remuneration as the main issues facing the creative industries, while suggesting that AI developers currently find it difficult to navigate copyright law in the UK, with this framed as undermining investment in and the adoption of AI technology.
Your feedback is vital in helping Creative UK capture the range of perspectives from across the cultural and creative industries, so we can represent your views effectively.
BLOG: What does a Trump presidency mean for the UK?
“Today, hidden from the icy January cold inside the Capitol, Donald Trump becomes the 47th President of the United States. The President is riding on a high, fresh from hosting a rally for his supporters on Sunday where he promised to bring down inflation, bring back jobs to America and impose tariffs on competitors around the world. But whilst Trump may be insulated from the cold today, how might the UK’s economy fare when exposed to an increasingly protectionist United States”
Read Best For Britain’s latest blog
Fashion Roundtable Library: Trump II: Why He Won - What It Means For The World by Tim Hames
The First Word on the New Trump Presidency. By Tim Hames
He is back, and this will be much more than a sequel to the first Trump Administration. Back in 2017, Trump was unprepared for victory, was constrained by the Republican Party establishment, had zero experience of government and brought little sense of what he wanted to achieve.
This time, everything is different.
Trump II will have enormous implications for the United States, but more emphatically for the rest of the world.
This book explains the unique political appeal of Donald Trump, how he managed such an extraordinary personal and political comeback, and what he will seek to do now back in the Oval Office.
With a particular emphasis on the implications for the United Kingdom, Trump II is an expert analysis of a President whose impact home and abroad will last far beyond the next four years.
 | A guest post by
|
I loved working on this interview about #KateFletcher new book