Sari designed from recycled plastic adds shine to party
GARMENT INCLUDED PALACE AND MONARCH’S CORGIS
STUDENTS from Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) came together to design a glittering sari for the Platinum Jubilee Pageant.
The sari was created by a group of 15 textiles students from the university and featured in the pageant last Sunday (5).
Produced using sustainable fabric, the five-metre garment included classic British symbols such as Buckingham Palace, afternoon teas and the Queen’s beloved corgis. The fabric was made from recycled plastic bottles, which were melted and spun into yarn. It was selected by the designer Paul Costelloe, who was previously appointed as the personal designer to Diana, the Princess of Wales.
Arts organisation Nutkhut approached AUB’s Textiles and Events Management courses to design the piece and manage the process for the production of the sari. It was included in a segment of the procession called ‘The Wedding Party’, where two fourmetre-high puppets dressed as a bride and groom stood alongside a model wedding cake which stood at six-meters high. This part of the pageant was designed to celebrate the universal joy of families and communities uniting through two people coming together. It was performed in an elaborate Bollywood style, with 250 wedding guest performers of all ages from across the country.
Among those watching the pageant last Sunday were Meera Syal and Sanjeev Bhaskar.
The sari project began with the university’s undergraduate textiles students drafting ideas and designs, before the final motifs were selected, featuring the work of 15 second-year BA (Hons) Textiles students. “It’s an amazing experience to have the opportunity to take part in such a special event such as the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, and I feel honoured to have done so,” said Gemma Arnold-Baker, a secondyear BA (Hons) Textiles student.
Simmy Gupta, Nutkhut’s co-artistic director, explained some of the process behind the project. “To re-imagine the sari, a timeless garment for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant is both an honour and a joy. We have been playful, yet considerate in our designs…for that outcome to be presented on sustainable fabric, is a true legacy for our future generations,” she said.
The saris have now been posted to cities across five continents, many going to Commonwealth countries. They will be worn by individuals in front of iconic locations like Rome’s Colosseum, New York’s Brookly Bridge and Sydney Harbour. One sari will then head to an exhibition set to take place in Poole, commemorating the conurbation’s role in the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.