MA Fashion Sustainability Residential at Great Cotmarsh Farm

In July 2025, I joined three lecturers and nine students from the online MA in Fashion Sustainability at Falmouth University for a two-day residential at Great Cotmarsh Farm in Wiltshire. It was the learning you cannot get from a screen. We stood in fields humming with insects, handled fleece that still held the scent of lanolin and earth, stepped into a micro tannery that is bringing a heritage craft back to life, and wandered through a botanical dye garden alive with colour. I’m sharing what I learnt during this MA Fashion Sustainability residential in the hope that it inspires others, whether that’s visiting a farm like Great Cotmarsh, experimenting with their own dye garden, or simply seeing how soil, plants and animals shape the textiles we use every day.

Why take fashion education to a farm

Fashion education often begins with mood boards, sketchbooks and software. Essential tools, yes, but they can hide the first links in the supply chain. At Great Cotmarsh, we started with land, livestock and living colour. I was fortunate to participate in this optional residential programme offered through my MA Fashion Sustainability programme. The farm was close to my parents’ home, which meant my two girls enjoyed two happy days with their grandparents while I immersed myself in study. I chose to join because I wanted to explore how fashion education can move beyond theory, connecting design practice directly to farming systems and showing how eco-conscious learners might develop sustainable clothing ideas that respect both ecology and aesthetics.

The two-day programme, designed and delivered by Katie and James, both first-generation farmers, placed us right at the beginning of the fibre story, their commitment to farming with nature shaped every part of our learning. We explored conservation grazing, tall-grass regenerative grazing and the cultivation of a vibrant botanical dye garden. We watched the early stages of vegetable tanning in their micro tannery and traced the journey of wool from sheep to yarn to knitwear. This immersive approach made theory tangible and offered us new ways to teach circular fashion innovation in our own classrooms, studios and communities.

A classroom with a view of the pasture

Our base was a simple farm classroom where samples lined the tables. There were skeins from rare breeds, small batches of naturally dyed yarns, and pieces of vegetable-tanned leather in warm earth tones. We began with an introduction to how sustainable textiles can be rooted in working landscapes. Then we stepped outside to see it all in action.

I kept thinking about how different the conversation becomes when you stand in front of the plants that dye your fabric or the animals whose fibre becomes your yarn. Sustainable fashion stops being abstract. It becomes a set of relationships that you can touch, smell and listen to. 

How Farming Works at Great Cotmarsh

Healthy soil is the start of sustainable fashion

Great Cotmarsh works with the principle that healthy soil underpins a resilient food and fibre system. Well-functioning soil stores carbon, improves drainage, reduces flood risk and supports more nutritious food. When farms prioritise soil health, they also reduce dependence on synthetic fertilisers and chemical inputs. For fashion students, this matters because soil is where sustainable textiles begin. If we want regenerative fashion, we need living soil.

Herds that keep moving

The team move livestock in groups across fresh pasture to mirror natural herd behaviour. Animals graze the tender top third of forage, while more rigid stems are pressed into the ground to form a protective mulch. Combined with manure, that mulch helps build new soil, slows water loss, creates micro-habitats for insects and feeds a broader web of life. Regular moves also mean large areas of grassland can rest and recover, which supports diverse plant communities and increases the pasture’s ability to lock up carbon.

Conservation grazing as biodiversity work.

Much of the farm’s experience comes from conservation grazing. When animals graze species-rich meadows at the right time, wildflowers and other valuable plants can flourish. We walked through fields busy with bees and butterflies and talked about how varied vegetation supports sheep and cattle while also feeding a larger ecosystem. It is a practical example of how responsible livestock management can work hand in hand with nature recovery.

Careful, minimal medicine use

I appreciated the honesty in the discussion about animal health. Treatments are used with care and with a keen eye on landscape impacts. We discussed dung beetles as allies in soil improvement because they carry manure into the soil. Timing matters—weather matters. The farm observes the small creatures that keep the land functioning and makes decisions with them in mind. For students, this served as a model of systems thinking in action. Sustainable fashion is not just a material choice. It is a set of practices that respects ecological relationships from the outset.

A walk through the botanical dye garden

The dye garden is where colour becomes a crop. Mainstream dyeing relies heavily on synthetics that pollute water and harm biodiversity. In contrast, a well-managed natural dye system can deliver strong, colourfast results with far lower toxicity and with stories that connect wearers to place.

We walked along paths filled with a wide variety of dye plants. Madder, Weld, Dyers’ Chamomile, Marigold, Tansy, Woad and Japanese Indigo stood beside Saw-wort, Rhubarb, Lady’s Bedstraw and Wild Madder. A long hedge of dye species stretched out like a living palette. Bark from Berberis, Purging Buckthorn, Birch, Black Alder and Walnut can produce colour without a mordant, offering a practical route to less chemically intensive dye work.

I had never seen a dye garden of this scale before, and it was a revelation. Even more special was the opportunity to harvest marigolds ourselves and then use them to dye yarn. The simple act of cutting blooms in the quiet of the farm felt deeply familiar, so close to my own upbringing in the Cotswolds, yet a million miles away from the constant buzz of Singapore.

For most of my career, I believed fashion belonged to the megacities, London, Singapore, the global hubs where ideas and trends collide. But here, surrounded by fields and flowers, it was a revelation to realise that the twilight of my fashion career could perhaps come back to my roots as a country girl. It opened up the possibility of bringing together my love of the countryside and my love of fashion in a way I had never quite believed possible before.

After thirteen years designing for fast fashion and six years running an SME that relied on deadstock, becoming a student again felt like stepping into unknown territory. I wasn’t sure what direction my journey in fashion sustainability would take. Standing in the dye garden shifted something for me. The practice of growing, harvesting and transforming plants into colour inspired me to imagine myself as an educator in this next stage of life in Singapore.

A Wilde Hippi lesson plan began to take shape in my mind: learners sketching plants, recording dye methods, noting water usage, and linking swatches back to the seasons. It is circular fashion innovation at a human scale, and also a way to rebuild textile skills that Britain once had in abundance. Natural dyeing in Britain has a fragile history. The craft was revived in the past by figures such as William Morris and Ethel Mairet. Still, much of today’s living expertise is held elsewhere, in places like India, Pakistan, Japan and across Africa and Asia. Seeing Cotmarsh’s garden as part of this revival gave me a sense of how local knowledge can grow again, adapted for our own landscapes and contexts.

Understanding Wool Characteristics for Textile Education

We met the flock that supplies fibre for Katie Cotmarsh Knitwear, including rare breeds such as Portland and Castlemilk Moorit. By handling both the greasy fleece and the finished spun yarn, we came to appreciate just how many processes transform wool into a garment.

Even without seeing every step in between, the contrast between raw fibre and finished yarn highlighted how labour-intensive the transformation is, and how much skill and care sit behind materials we often take for granted. Strong, resilient wools deliver long-lasting knitwear. Softer, finer wools hold gentle next-to-skin comfort. For students, taking the time to understand each step of this journey builds a more profound respect for the material and a fuller appreciation of what truly goes into producing yarn.

In the studio, we saw how fully fashioned construction reduces waste and how hand-powered knitting machines encourage a slower, more deliberate rhythm of making. The maker stays connected to each piece because they cannot rush the process. That same sense of care carries through the entire system: the fibre is grown on the farm, processed within a regional radius, and finished with attention. This traceability, from soil to finished garment, reflects the principles of the Fibreshed movement, where communities work within their bioregions to produce clothing in harmony with local resources. It is slow fashion in its most grounded form, and it is linked directly to my coursework on sustainable textiles within the MA in Fashion Sustainability at Falmouth University.

Inside Cotmarsh Tannery, reviving a critically endangered craft

The tannery is small and determined. It focuses on vegetable tanning using plant-based tannins rather than chrome. This choice rebuilds a craft that once thrived in Britain, while creating leather that is fully traceable back to individual animals. For our cohort, the tannery was a practical lesson in how sustainable fashion can draw on heritage processes while designing for a clean future.

We learned how hides move through washing, liming, deliming, bating and pickling before they meet tannins made from bark and other natural materials. James explained his plans for setting up the tannery with robust equipment designed for micro-scale work. James showed us where the drums will rotate, where he will set the hides, and where he will buff the grain to a smoother finish. A reed bed treats water, and a rainwater harvesting system reduces demand on the mains supply. James shares what he learns through workshops, internships and apprenticeships so others can start micro tanneries and share equipment that would otherwise be a barrier.

The tannery joins the field to the fibre story that the farm is building. It adds value to cattle hides that might otherwise leave the region. It offers brands and artisans a route to leather with transparent provenance. It gives students a rare chance to understand leather beyond the shop floor. We touched sample panels, asked questions about pH and temperature control, and considered how leather sits within a regenerative model when it is a by-product of pasture-based farming.

As a lifelong yoga practitioner and someone who spent fifteen years as a vegetarian, my instinct has always been to imagine a future free from animal use and cruelty. I only began eating meat again in recent years because of anaemia, and even then, it has been a reluctant step. This course challenged me to look more deeply at the role animals play in regenerative textiles. It is a difficult balance to sit with, because I still do not agree with killing animals for food or clothing. Yet I am beginning to understand that biodegradable, carbon-carrying, chemical-free materials may be one of the only ways forward, and animals are a part of that system. It is a journey I am still getting my head around. Still, slowly, I am accepting that regeneration may require uncomfortable compromises if we are to move towards a truly regenerative fashion system.

Churchill Fellowship & Heritage Crafts: Supporting Revived Leather Traditions

Katie and James secured a Churchill Fellowship, which gave them the chance to travel and learn from traditional tanneries abroad, and to bring that knowledge back to Great Cotmarsh. That fellowship was not just funding, it offered mentoring, exposure to different vegetable tanning methods, and confidence to build a micro tannery anchored in heritage process, transparency, and ecological integrity. The Churchill Fellowship helped them plan equipment, understand liming and tanning techniques, and shape how they want Cotmarsh Tannery to operate cleanly, traceably, and ethically.

 

 

Great Cotmarsh also features in the Heritage Crafts Red List of Endangered Crafts. The Red List documents traditional crafts in the UK that are at risk of dying out, including vegetable tanning using bark and natural materials. By working to revive vegetable tanning and investing in workshops, apprenticeships, and shared equipment at Cotmarsh, Katie and James are contributing directly to preserving and revitalising one of these endangered crafts.

 

 

These two connections matter deeply. The Churchill Fellowship provides Cotmarsh with the resources and international perspective necessary to design a tannery that can endure. Heritage Crafts’ recognition reminds us that what Katie and James are doing is rare, critical, and urgent, not just for fashion, but for cultural heritage.

An Overview of the Two-Day Residential Programme

Day One

We arrived after lunch and began with an informal getting-to-know-you session that set the tone for the days ahead. In the evening, James and Katie welcomed us with a meal of meat and vegetables from the farm, grounding us immediately in the hospitality and ethos of their work.

Day Two

The morning focused on soil, grazing and wool. We walked the pastures and learned how rotational grazing supports soil health and biodiversity. We discussed how livestock movement builds organic matter and strengthens resilience to climate stress. We then met the flock, explored breed characteristics, and compared staple length, crimp and handle.

In the afternoon, we turned to the tannery, where we studied its history and the early stages of processing hides. Afterwards, we toured the dye garden, harvested marigolds and used them to dye yarn, watching colour release from the petals. The day closed with making our own pizzas in the wood-fired oven and sharing reflections on what we had learned from the farm.

Day Three

Our final morning began with a lesson on Doughnut Economics led by our head lecturer, followed by a visit from the press. We left just after lunch, carrying with us the sense that these three days had opened up new ways of thinking about fashion, farming and education.

How Pasture-Fed Systems Support Health and Fibre Quality

The farm is Pasture for Life certified, which means all livestock are raised entirely on grass and forage rather than grain. This commitment supports animal welfare and soil health while also influencing the nutritional quality of the food produced. Research shows that 100% pasture-fed meat and dairy contain lower overall fat, improved omega-3 to omega-6 ratios, higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and a richer spectrum of vitamins and minerals.

Although our course centred on textiles rather than food, the principles connect directly. The same pasture management practices that produce nutrient-rich food also create healthier landscapes and stronger, more resilient fibre. Well-managed grazing systems enhance soil carbon, improve biodiversity, and yield wool with qualities that reflect the vitality of the ecosystem. I learned at the farm that regenerative fashion connects directly to farming choices: what feeds the land feeds the animals, and ultimately shapes the fibres we design with.

Learning by Experience in Sustainable Fashion

What made the residential program powerful was the chance to learn by experience. Handling raw fleece, walking pasture, and harvesting dye plants turned theory into practice. Ideas we often meet in books, soil health, fibre quality, circular systems, became tangible when we worked with them directly.

This approach echoed enquiry-based learning, where questions arise from doing. Standing in the field, watching skilled processes, and asking about time, cost, and care gave us insights no classroom could provide. Learning by experience revealed both the challenges of regenerative fashion and the possibilities it can open.

How This Residential Shapes My Practice

I returned to my studio with a clearer sense of how Wilde Hippi can grow as both a brand and an educational platform.

• Curriculum design: I am developing a module that takes learners from plant to pigment to print.
• Community projects: Through the City Sprouts x Wilde Hippi collaboration, I will continue to build our partnership to establish a dye garden here in Singapore. Our Singapore garden will become a space for educational outreach, where families can explore seasonal dye plants and link gardening, science and craft.
• Exploring a Singapore Fibershed: I will continue building a network of makers and farmers here in Singapore to explore how a local Fibershed might take shape.
• Research focus: This fieldwork strengthens my MA reflections on regional textile economies, how they can reduce impact while increasing transparency, value and connection to place.

For me, this is slow fashion education in action. It builds confidence in learners, respect for the people who grow and make our materials, and a more profound sense of how fashion can work with, not against, the land.

Applying Regenerative Textile Lessons in Study and Practice

If you teach or study sustainable fashion and want to learn about regenerative design in the UK context, consider a farm visit between late May and October when the dye garden is in full growth and the pasture is at its most instructive. Plan a three to four-hour visit at a minimum and allow time for a lunch break and reflection. Take notebooks, swatch cards and a camera. Go with questions about sourcing, labour, costs, yields and waste as well as aesthetics.

For those studying from afar or following sustainable fashion courses online in the UK, consider adding small projects at home to your learning. Start by growing a pot of marigolds and noting each stage of the dye bath. Reach out to local growers or smallholders to understand their practices. Join a workshop at a nearby city farm. These simple steps root your studies in place and connect you with the people who are shaping more sustainable textile futures close to home.

Closing Reflections: Regenerative Fashion Starts with the Soil

At Cotmarsh, I saw clearly that every fibre story begins in the ground. Healthy soil locks away carbon, holds water, and removes the need for chemical shortcuts. When animals graze in balance with the land, their movement, manure and mulch feed the soil and the small life within it. Wildflowers return, bees and butterflies thrive, and farming becomes part of nature’s rhythm rather than against it.

The root of regenerative fashion lies in living systems. It doesn’t start in a studio or a design brief, it begins in the soil. To design responsibly is to work with those cycles of soil, fibre and dye, and to recognise the land, labour and skill behind every material.

For me, this residency was more than just two days on a farm. It was a reminder of what fashion education should be: rooted, practical and connected to place. Back in Singapore, I carry this learning into my work with City Sprouts and into the conversations around building a local Fibershed. Regenerative fashion begins in the soil, but its future depends on how we choose to learn, teach and design together.

🌿🦋 Join My Free Online Classes

I am so excited to share a series of free online classes designed to help you connect more consciously with your clothes and the textiles around you. Together, we will explore simple, creative skills such as making natural pigments straight from your kitchen, easy sewing hacks to breathe new life into worn garments, and beginner-friendly patchwork to transform old clothes into beautiful household textiles.

These classes focus on empowerment, creativity, and sustainability. Join me, whether you are just starting your journey or deepening your connection with fashion sustainability, and together we will learn, make and reimagine.

🌸🌱 Wilde Reads: Books for Change

Until now, Wilde Reads has mostly been me sharing what I am reading and reflecting on, but I would love to turn it into something more collective. If you are passionate about sustainability and fashion, I would be delighted for you to read alongside me. Together we can explore books that spark fresh ideas, open meaningful conversations and inspire more conscious ways of living.

We are now on our eighth book, Fibershed by Rebecca Burgess with Courtney White. It is a powerful exploration of the growing movement of farmers, makers and fashion activists working to create a new regenerative textile economy. If this resonates with you, I would love for you to join me in turning the page towards a better world. 📚✨

With gratitude,

Tala 🌿💚