It has been considered a staple of any fashionable wardrobe for almost a century, but the roots of the little black dress are nestled in the radical.
That is made clear in the latest commission made by the National Museums Scotland.
Emblazoned with the word 'RESIST', a garment made with natural materials sourced from the private residence of King Charles will join a display dedicated to the little black dress.
In a clear-cut statement about the wastefulness of the modern fashion industry, the item is made of nettles and horsehair found in Highgrove.
The stinging plants were made into an innovative textile in an effort to champion sustainability.
It was created for VIN + OMI’s Autumn Winter 2020 collection but will now join the National Collection.
The dress will first be displayed in an exhibition examining "the radical power of the colour black in fashion", titled Beyond the Little Black Dress, from July 1.
VIN + OMI are award-winning fashion and multimedia designers with studios throughout the UK.
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In 2019, they began a collaboration with The King in an effort to find creative solutions for the waste outputs of the Gloucestershire residence.
The designers said: "For the last 20 years we have purposely set out to avoid being part of the fashion machine that contributes to the demise of the planet.
"We do not retail our clothing and are much more excited about experimentation, teaching and challenge.
"Our dress for National Museums Scotland shows what can happen with the waste from UK estates. These estates produce a large amount of plant and other waste."
VIN + OMI calculate the exact energy expenditure used in the production of their items - down to the number of calories burned.
The design team added: "We have collaborated with King Charles for four years and his open-minded, eco, approach to running his estates makes a collaboration like this possible.
"National Museums Scotland is the perfect final home for this work – the alternatives to fast fashion must be constantly explored.
"Housing our work here helps future generations learn ways of naturally producing garments that do minimal damage to our planet.”
Their collaboration work on the royal family residence comes at the suggestion of the monarch himself.
The designers initially collected water nettles from the grounds of the estate before developing a new-to-market nettle textile.
It was transformed into a fashion material using innovative methods of fibre bonding and plant preparation.
But they did not stop at nettles and the team also went on to create new textiles from Highgrove’s willow cuttings, cow parsley, plastic plant pots, horsehair and other organic materials.
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The principal curator of modern and contemporary design at National Museums Scotland said the fashion industry is among the most "wasteful".
Georgina Ripley said: "We are delighted to have commissioned this striking piece for the National Collection, and we look forward to revealing it to visitors in Beyond the Little Black Dress.
"Fashion is one of the most energy-consuming, polluting, and wasteful of modern industries.
"In response, contemporary designers are seeking more sustainable solutions, like this nature-led approach from VIN + OMI.
"Their 'LBD' challenges us to resist the mainstream and place the environment at the forefront of our fashion choices.”
However, the striking sustainable piece will be just one or more than 60 looks on display in Edinburgh next month.
From design classics to the cutting-edge of fashion, little black dresses sourced from across the globe will take the spotlight.
The exhibition will explore how its complexities have made the little black dress simultaneously expressive of piety and perversion, respect and rebellion.
The item has taken on many different iterations, from the well-mannered cocktail attire of the early 20th century to the leather and latex used as an expression of subcultures.
It will open with a garment from a designer who helped popularise the concept of the 'little black dress' - Coco Chanel.
Her simple, short black dress was considered radically modern in 1926 and disregarded conventions of the time in both design and colour.
Visitors to Beyond the Little Black Dress, which is sponsored by Baillie Gifford Investment Managers, will discover a century of fashion in a series of themed, immersive displays.
Beyond the Little Black Dress will run from July 1 up until October 29 in the National Museum of Scotland.
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