Prince Charles collaborates with fashion brand Vin + Omi at London Fashion Week with sustainable focus

The British Royal Family doesn't normally hit London Fashion Week (barring a surprise appearance from the Queen last year), but Prince Charles’ presence was certainly felt at the presentation for eco-friendly designer Vin + Omi.

The new collection, which saw models walk the runway in outfits crafted from nettles and recycled plastic, was revealed to be an unexpected collaboration between the Prince and the sustainable brand.

In a press release from Vin + Omi, the two designers behind the brand revealed they met with Prince Charles and talked about their research into new plant-based fabrics.

According to Vin + Omi, Prince Charles was so impressed that he let them harvest nettles from his Highgrove estate (under the supervision of Head Gardener Debs Goodenough) and they used them to create some of the textiles in the collection.

The brand, which has made 20 new textiles using British plants including cow parsley, chestnuts, mushrooms and more, said, “[Prince Charles] suggested that we take the large amount of nettle, that he [trims] annually, and experiment further. So we did.”

Vin + Omi revealed that they had been able to use the royal nettles to create two new processes to produce the fibre, which included “a new eco [form] of mercerisation... that has no impact on the environment and lightens the fibres from a browny green to a cream”.

The journey was given a very 007 title, named Project Sting.

The processed nettles were then woven, felted, appliqued and fused together with biodegradable glue (developed by the brand), which made up some of the collection’s most striking garments at the end of the show.

Some were also dyed with natural plant dyes, though others were left in their raw post-processing cream state.

The show also saw the brand unveil other outfits made from sustainable materials, including recycled plastic from art dealer Daler Rowney and the show's venue, the Savoy Hotel, repurposed Levi’s denim and recycled vinyl posters from Ocean Outdoor which were used to make handbags.

Bold messages about eco-activism were also written on some of the clothing, including one which read "Stop f**king the planet".

Models included environmental activists Jo and Leah Wood, as well as Olympic athletes James Honeybone, Dominique Allen, Hannah Mills MBE and more.

Despite lending a hand behind the scenes, Prince Charles did not appear to be in attendance at the show.

Prince Charles has collaborated with other sustainable fashion brands. Most notably, he works closely with jewellery brand Pippa Small through his charity Turquoise Mountain which seeks to “invest in historic areas and traditional crafts, to provide jobs, skills and a renewed sense of pride.”

The brand and Turquoise Mountain recently celebrated its tenth anniversary. Meghan Markle has also previously lent her support to her father-in-law's cause, choosing to wear Pippa Small over the course of her Fiji tour last year.