The Story Behind the Fringe Violet Flower Wearable Costume
The Fringe Violet Flower Wearable Costume began as an act of environmental advocacy. Created in 2014 for the Wilderness Society Adelaide Branch, the hand-felted wearable artwork was part of a campaign to raise awareness of South Australia’s native flora species threatened by mining exploration in areas rich with delicate wildflowers, including Thysanotus tuberosus, the Fringed Violet or Fringed Lily.
The delicate fringed flower is reimagined as a sculptural garment, its essence carried into form through Australian Fine Merino Wool and the slow, meditative rhythm of wet‑felting techniques. Soft fibres gather and bloom into feathered edges, echoing the plant’s tender, wind‑touched petals.
The costume unfolds in two parts, a petal neckpiece and a skirt, each designed to sway with the wearer, mirroring the way the flower trembles lightly in the breeze. Enlarged to human scale and placed upon the body, the fragile beauty of the Fringed Violet becomes impossible to overlook. What was once small and easily missed in the landscape rises into presence, asking the viewer to pause, to notice, to care.
The costume quickly became more than an artwork; it became a symbol. It was worn during Wilderness Society environmental actions, where volunteers used it to spark conversations about conservation, land protection, and the fragility of South Australia’s ecosystems. Its presence helped draw attention to species that would otherwise remain unseen.
Later, the Fringe Violet costume bloomed again at WOMADelaide and the Adelaide Fringe Festival, meeting thousands who felt its quiet call. In these vibrant cultural spaces, the piece shifted from protest to celebration, a living reminder of native flora and the fragile worlds we inherit. When formally exhibited, it invited viewers to witness art as environmental storytelling. Its significance endures: a wearable plea for care, honouring vulnerable species and embodying my long‑standing commitment to ecological beauty and sustainable, cultural design.
Today, the artworks are publicly held by the Wilderness Society South Australia branch, where it continues to represent the intersection of creativity, textile design evolution, ecology and community action.