GreenWalk Awards: Wheat dress propels its creator to Saint Martins

The future of sustainable fashion looks promising, driven by groundbreaking ideas and a growing environmental consciousness, as embodied by the GreenWalk Awards. The event celebrated its third edition in Madrid earlier this month and awarded designer Alejandro Merino a scholarship to attend a course at the prestigious UK institution Central Saint Martins for his innovative design entitled 'The Radix'.

Among the 11 finalists, Merino stood out with his visionary approach, presenting a design crafted entirely from wheat and grass roots. This dress, which impressed a jury featuring Carmen Lomana, stylist Mayte de la Iglesia, designer Paloma Álvarez from Malne, marketing expert Lucía Vargas, and model and content creator Álvaro García, was created using recycling and upcycling techniques, making it 100 percent biodegradable.

The creative process involved germinating, cutting, cleaning, and drying the roots, resulting in a piece that blends natural aesthetics with futuristic elegance. "The balance between natural aesthetics and futuristic elegance is essential for envisioning a sustainable future in fashion," Merino remarked after receiving his award

Originally from Maracay, Venezuela, Merino introduced his design as part of a dystopian narrative envisioning a post-ecological-catastrophe world where the fashion industry exclusively adopts sustainable practices. His concept highlights the need for collaboration between technology and nature to minimise environmental impact—a vision aligning with the goals of future generations of designers.

This article was originally published on FashionUnited.ES, translated from Spanish into English with the help of an AI-tool and edited by Veerle Versteeg.