So, what actually is a Fibershed? Be it a farm or a ranch, the movement brings together regional, soil-to-soil initiatives with the aim of connecting people to the local landscape where the fibres that make their clothes were grown. There are currently 44 active affiliates around the world, operating on a volunteer basis. “The Fibershed movement is a response to the opaque and in many cases exploitative system that’s been producing our second skin,” explains Rebecca. “It focuses on localising the systems that clothe us – primarily the fibres and natural dyes, but also appropriate technologies. You might not expect this to be the driver behind an agricultural system,” she continues, “but when you delve deeper it becomes clearer.”
In many cases, the movement’s ethos comes down to strengthening communities and celebrating what has been present for generations. It wants to reconnect the fashion industry to the land on which its resources are grown, encouraging sustainable, regional farming practices that build soil carbon stocks and ultimately create climate-positive clothing. “I feel that we need to wake up to the beauty and incredible dynamism under our feet,” Rebecca explains. “To me, real luxury is to have clothing that is beautiful but tethered to a land ethic at the same time. I don’t know what could be more beautiful than what fashion does with materials, and when you add that true connection to nature – a real reverence and respect for it – you get the best of both worlds.”