How Nature is Reclaiming the Runway One Blade of Grass at a Time

Paleontologists estimate that grass has existed on earth for at least 55 million years. Most of us rarely give it a second thought, so it’s unsurprising that fashion typically looks to more visually striking flora for inspiration. However, it was exactly this quotidian species that took center stage at Loewe’s SS23 men’s show, alongside chia plants and catnip which were seeded, watered and grown on footwear and garments in a polytunnel just outside Paris over a 20-day period. Real grass sprouted from sneakers, track pants, hoodies, jeans and coats, the result of a collaboration with Spanish bio-designer Paula Ulargui Escalona. The collection urged us to think about how we could better collaborate with nature rather than plunder it for its resources. If the scorched city parks of our increasingly hot summers have taught us anything, it’s not to take nature for granted—even the parts that are as mundane as grass.