Flourishing Futures: Growing the Next Era of Fashion at Kew Gardens
- Written byLCF Communications
- Published date 09 October 2025
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The project Flourishing Futures: Growing The Next Era of Fashion is a collaboration between London College of Fashion (LCF), UAL’s MA Fashion Curation and Cultural Programming course and Kew Gardens for their 2025 Material World exhibition. Drawing from Kew’s renowned scientific collections, Material World explores the intertwined threads of nature, culture, sustainability and creativity.
During the initial in curriculum project, 8 students worked together to design a full project design package based on the requirements of Kew and under the guidance of academics Dr. Cyana Madsen and Jeffrey Horsley. After presenting their plan to Kew’s Programmes Producer, Lorna Spada and Visitor Programmes Manager Rebecca Harfield, three students were hired onto phase two to consult on the delivery of the exhibition which featured the work of LCF alumni Jessie Von Curry.
Here’s what some of the consulting students had to say about their experience.
Evie Power Charles, Exhibition Consultant
My role as Activity and Interpretation Consultant was to manage Artist and Designer liaison, working directly with artists to align ambitions for the exhibition. We focused on emerging designers who were innovating the use of plants and fungi in their work such as Jessie Von Curry and Beth Williams.
Installing the exhibition was a new experience for me as we were working within a Grade I listed building. This meant each step taken in the install plan had to be considered with how it would fit into the space. I attended install day for Jessie Von Curry’s piece, Hyphal Body and worked with Jessie on install day to ensure it’s intended shape came through visually.
Participating in this exhibition taught me the crucial role communication plays in bringing together the ideas of multiple artists and stakeholders. Whether it be in person, through e-mail or video-call, this exhibition came together through endless valuable conversations that pieced together the final result.
Elizabeth Chaffe, Exhibition Consultant
My experience with this project was incredibly fulfilling. I learned a great deal about what it takes to coordinate and communicate between multiple stakeholders. It sparked a deep interest in bio design and sustainability, and I hope to work on future projects that place a strong emphasis on environmental impact.
Fast fashion and overconsumption are rampant, and the planet simply can't sustain the current pace of the industry. We felt it was crucial to educate visitors on practical actions they can take at home to make a positive difference. We designed an interactive game in which guests were able to reveal statistics about the environmental impact of the fashion industry through rubbing chalk onto plaques around the space. These digestible pieces of information were key to ensuring guests left understanding the ways they could make small, meaningful change’.
Gabriella Jaramillo Arciniega, Interpretation and Activity Consultant
My role as Interpretation and Activity Consultant offered me the chance to merge critical theory with practice in a real-world curatorial project. For me, this was not only an opportunity to contribute to an ambitious exhibition, but also a way of testing how ethically aware, interdisciplinary curatorial practices can be made accessible to broad audiences.
I was particularly focused on the interpretive direction of the project. My main responsibility was leading the writing of the exhibition texts. This included an introductory panel, ten labels highlighting designers and their connections to plants, and interpretation for the public activity. In this process, I had to navigate multiple roles: writer, communicator, and translator of ideas. I worked closely with designers, curators, and Kew staff to ensure the content was both accurate, accessible to their diverse audience and aligned with the institution’s tone of voice.
Ultimately, Flourishing Futures was a forward-looking and collaborative project that allowed me to combine my interests in material culture, sustainable fashion, and decolonial practices. I am proud to have contributed to an exhibition that invited audiences to think critically and creatively about fashion’s future, and I leave the experience with both practical skills and a deeper conviction in the power of ethically grounded interpretation’.
Congratulations to Elizabeth Chaffee, Andi Chen, Emma Havez, Alex Hesterberg, Gabriella Jaramillo Archiniegas, Evangeline Power-Charles, Siqui Sheng, and Haohan Zhang for all of their work in this project.
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