Eccomi
These beautiful images taken by the brilliant photographer Nick Clements with model Sevvy Nichols in 2024 show our Eccomi dress in all its glory. It’s a dress that has been critical to our R&D journey of taking natural dyes into commercial yarn production in the UK.
Below is a short summary of the project which was showcased at The Circular Transitions Conference held at Tate Britain and Chelsea Collage of Art and Design in 2016. See blog post “Eccomi 16” for further information.
Eccomi
Eccomi, Italian for “Here I am” captures our mission to create a scalable and repeatable fabric suitable for haute couture. This is the first time such a fabric has been developed for commercial use, blending tradition with sustainability.
Our pioneering fabric, a two-tone taffeta, blends unbleached silk warp with naturally dyed silk weft in a delicate green hue from goldenrod and nettle. Partnering with Gainsborough Silk Weaving Company, we adapted natural dyeing to modern production, overcoming technical challenges like sticky filament yarn.
To showcase our fabric, we designed the Eccomi dress, inspired by traditional Korean garments and Balenciaga. We incorporated eco-printing with foraged ferns and hand embroidery using naturally dyed silk floss. Sustainable materials like organic cotton thread and peace silk further aligned with our vision.
More than a garment, the Eccomi dress is a case study in circular fashion. Our journey continues as we push the boundaries of regenerative couture, proving that sustainability and high fashion can harmoniously coexist.
We give thanks to @gainsboroughweaving for weaving, @sallypayne2755 for pattern cutting, @beckyearly for initially enabling us to showcase the dress and @istitutomarangoni_london for giving us the space to bring everything together.
See blog post “Eccomi 16” for further information about the project.