“Rootfull” Design by Zena Holloway
In her quest for an alternative to natural fabric, a bio-designer, Zena Holloway from the United Kingdom, has found a way to create root-grown textiles from wheatgrass seeds. She has transformed such materials into high fashion — e.g., clothing, lamps and wall decorations with unique styles. Their complex geometric patterns, complemented with ethereal shapes, render mesmerizingly artful presentations that have connected the public to the origins of nature in its purest form.
As a former underwater photographer, Zena witnessed the deterioration of the ocean floor environment by waste garbage such as plastics. It alarmed her tremendously because she realized this waste will stay on Earth for millions of years. In order to reverse this trend, she decided to find natural substitutes for her daily usage which started with her clothing.
After extensive experimentation with binding properties from natural materials, including mushrooms, she discovered that by putting wheatgrass seeds in beeswax molds and letting them grow over two weeks, the root structures weave into strong mesh-like patterns. During the course of 14 days, she guided the roots into templates to form the sizes and shapes she wanted.
According to Zena, root is an exciting and versatile material where the most honest results are achieved by working with the natural flows of the fiber. It can be grown into large hanging structures or set and molded to form vessels, and it responds especially well to natural dyeing processes.
At the same time, the lace-like root structures with natural tissues and threads flowing in the air reminded her of those beautiful marine organisms such as corals and jellyfish. She pieces those sheet-like forms together with thread and turns them into art and functional garments. Each piece is unique and 100% biodegradable. Currently, she is experimenting with various natural dyes to give her products a range of versatility for her upcoming May exhibitions in London — RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023 and de le Cuona.
Zena’s Rootfull initiative comes at a time when the fashion industry is being heavily criticized as one of the culprits polluting our environment. Although this root-based fabric is still in its infancy, we applaud Zena for finding organic materials for the betterment of our environment.