Sustainable Fashion students go behind the scenes on pioneering “fashion farm”

Students on Falmouth’s online master’s in Sustainable Fashion recently visited Great Cotmarsh Farm, an organic farm in Wiltshire rethinking the role of farming in the fashion industry.  

From craft knitwear to a botanical dye garden and community tannery, farm founders Katie and James Allen are building a regenerative farming system that fosters environmental benefits such as improved soil health, nature recovery and a productive local textile economy. 

Falmouth's Sustainable Fashion group visit featured on the BBC, with Course Leader Tom Crisp appearing on BBC Points West to discuss the course's focus on empowering industry changemakers. Centring around questioning industry norms and reframing outdated systems through regenerative design principles, the visit was an inspiring opportunity for students to explore a radical alternative system in action.  

The in-person event – an optional part of all Falmouth’s online degrees – brought together students and tutors from the course community who typically engage with one another remotely. The group took part in workshops, presentations and tours of the farm, learning about the ecosystem they’ve created and its beneficial impact on wildlife and biodiversity. The group also got to grips with a range of farming terms and certification types to help with future materials sourcing.  

Reflecting on her experience of the trip, student Chrissandra Boxley said: “It was so valuable! We had the chance to really understand how the farm operates, and I was particularly inspired by the dye garden, as I’m currently implementing a similar concept in my own workplace. The on-site tannery was completely new to me, and it was fascinating to learn how it will be used in the future.

Bringing together material practices in such a localised setting demonstrated the potential for communities to regain agency - Tom Crisp, course leader

“I also loved seeing how Katie is using the farm to teach, bringing together groups of students across all age ranges, displaying how farming and fashion can work together. It’s such a powerful and enjoyable way to show that circular practices are possible and accessible to everyone.” 

On being with her peers in-person for a few days, she added: “Being able to discuss my Final Major Project ideas with peers throughout our time on the farm really helped me shape key points for my project proposal. It was also a great opportunity to connect with the course lecturing team in person.” 

Tom Crisp told us: “The MA Sustainable Fashion cohort had a wonderful two day learning experience at Great Cotmarsh Farm, building an educational bridge between regenerative farm practices and fashion processes. 

“The students were immersed in the rich ecosystem of regenerative agriculture for fibre and food production, learning about soil health, the development of the only cow-hide micro-tannery in the UK, how regenerative ecosystems are built (and destroyed) alongside gathering natural dye plants from the garden and using them to dye the wool from the farm flock. 

“Bringing together material practices in such a localised setting demonstrated the potential for communities to regain the agency to develop small-scale production systems and foster new relationships with their clothes through engagement with earth's processes - especially those dung beetles!” 

Find out more about Sustainable Fashion MA (Online)