WILLOW WOMAN - RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival 2025

Willow Woman has been created as part of The Community Brain’s ‘Celebrating 60 Years of Award Winning Fashion in Kingston’ project. 

Today our world is massively overproducing and underutilising clothing - it is estimated that over 100 billion garments are produced annually, nearly 14 items for every human being on the planet. This produces a staggering 92 million tonnes of textile waste each year, with much ending in landfill.

Many young fashion designers however are choosing to address this challenge head on through reusing and upcycling, as well as sourcing naturally grown materials. Willow Woman, standing tall at 4.8m and created using a variety of sustainably sourced willow, is a symbol of their commitment to a more sustainable craft.

From Hampton Court, the installation will move five miles to ‘Wild Tolworth’. This pioneering initiative from The Community Brain, Citizen Zoo, and Kingston Council, as well as other partners and community groups, will establish a dynamic, mixed-mosaic nature reserve on the 43 hectares of Tolworth Court Farm Fields. The largest rewilding project in London, it will nurture a more diverse and abundant wildlife population and provide a fitting home for The Willow Woman’s message of ecological consciousness.

Press: The Community Brain celebrates Kingston's fashion history at Hampton Court Palace with royal support.