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Kelly Rissman
US News Reporter
VIN + OMI, the controversial design duo famous for their avant-garde and sustainable garments endorsed by King Charles III, have never been content to live by the rules of the fashion industry.
The couple have decided to present a collection at the same time as London Fashion Week (LFW), with Dame Prue Leith on the catwalk, but independently of the British Fashion Council (BFC), as a representation of sustainability and smaller brands.
“It means there are no rules and we can do whatever we want,” says Vin, “We don’t make clothes to sell them.”
Vin believes the fashion industry is inherently unsustainable and biased against young creatives.[Designer brands] They have created empires where billions need to be invested to survive. It is a greedy attitude. It means that designers are going into debt for London Fashion Week, which is terrible and creates anxiety.
“Let’s say you get a £10m investment and you’re constantly trying to justify it by producing six collections a year for the sake of reputation, then you just can’t sustain it.
“Fashion is a terrible business for mental health and it is also the second biggest polluter on the planet. It is impossible to be a sustainable luxury brand and I think luxury brands should disappear,” Vin said, arguing that there should be room for smaller, more sustainable brands.
Based primarily in Norwich, close to King Charles III’s residence at Sandringham, VIN + OMI lead a nomadic lifestyle, gravitating towards what Vin calls “the most wasteful places” across the UK to learn about, source and rework materials that would otherwise go to landfill.
The designers have been collaborating with the King since 2019, where the duo uses plants and weeds from their estate to create and develop sustainable fabrics.
When asked about the King's continued support, he seemed to still find it a fantasy. “It's really weird,” Vin said, “but he sees how ridiculous we are with things, it doesn't faze him.”
At the designers’ 2022 show, held at London’s Dorchester Hotel, one of the King’s gardeners was present. “It was all very juxtaposed: she was still wearing overalls and she was sitting next to someone dressed in a duvet with holes for eyes,” Vin said. “It was brilliant, and that’s what we do.”
“We all come together for sustainability, and not everyone who cares about it will have the same aesthetic. The planet is all of us.”
This year, VIN + OMI is using wood chips from King Charles’ Sandringham estate. “Inside the wood is cellulose, which we transform into this fabric,” Vin explains.
“Extracting cellulose is incredibly toxic, so we have done it using a non-toxic process. The result is a very similar product, but it biodegrades faster than normal (it will take about three years), so our legacy will remain in the soil. At least that is the goal!”
2024 marks the 20th anniversary of VIN + OMI, and they have titled the show “Moxie,” which means courage and perseverance.
“That's what got us here, we've been through it all,” Vin says. “Omi is autistic and I have pretty severe ADHD, and we just don't function in the real world. We just get by and then 20 years later we have this flashback.
“So courage is our past, but it is linked to the current state of the world. It really takes courage to get through these stressful times.”
This year, restaurateur and Great British Bake Off judge Dame Prue Leith will be walking in the show. When asked what the 86-year-old would wear, Vin simply said: “We're going to make her sexier.”
Leith will be joined on the catwalk by Playboy model and American television personality Josie Stevens.
VIN + OMI are nothing if not inclusive, the designers also feature the UK's so-called property queen, Naomi Heaton, the CEO of The Other House, a rival to London's favourite members' club, Soho House.
The show promises fascinating and head-spinning moments, although there are always a few mistakes to be made. “We love getting a lot of things wrong,” Vin says. “Part of our approach to green work is experimentation, which means you can never predict how something will turn out.”
