Designer Sanyukta Shrestha’s sustainable Pippa gown made of 1980s newspapers chosen for ‘You Choose’ exhibition in Fashion Museum, Bath

A pioneering fashion designer from Hagworthingham has made history as the first designer of Nepali origin to be documented in the history of a world-famous museum.
By Rachel Armitage
Published 1st Sep 2022, 00:00 GMT
Sanyukta Shrestha’s sustainable couture dress has been chosen as one of the 10 curated unique displays at ‘You Choose’ exhibition in Fashion Museum, Bath.Sanyukta Shrestha’s sustainable couture dress has been chosen as one of the 10 curated unique displays at ‘You Choose’ exhibition in Fashion Museum, Bath.
Sanyukta Shrestha’s sustainable couture dress has been chosen as one of the 10 curated unique displays at ‘You Choose’ exhibition in Fashion Museum, Bath.

Sustainable fashion designer Sanyukta Shrestha’s sustainable couture Pippa gown, uniquely made of newspapers from the 1980s, has been chosen as one of the ten curated unique displays at the ‘You Choose’ exhibition in the Fashion Museum, Bath until October 30 – becoming the first Nepali woman to be documented in world fashion history.

“To receive this honour from one of the greatest Museums in the world has been a real pinch myself moment,” Sanyukta said, “This historic moment has made me feel speechless and ecstatic.”

Amongst over 100,000 objects in the Fashion Museum collection ranging from Shakespeare era to today’s leading designers including Christian Dior, Vivian Westwood and Alexander McQueen, Sanyukta’s sustainable wedding gown was handcrafted from 40-year-old newspapers found underneath floorboards of her home, and aided by Nepalese hand-loomed organic cotton and 3,000 Swarovski crystals, took nearly two months to finish in 2011.

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Sanyukta Shrestha Couture ‘Pippa gown’.Sanyukta Shrestha Couture ‘Pippa gown’.
Sanyukta Shrestha Couture ‘Pippa gown’.

The gown has now been preserved in the Fashion Museum as part of educational and environmental study, and has now caught the core interest of junior school children who chose the ‘Pippa gown’ for the ‘You Choose’ Exhibition due to its unique beauty of sustainable credentials.

The exhibition curator Fleur Johnson said: “We are thrilled that children from Oldfield Park Junior School in Bath have chosen Sanyukta Shrestha’s Pippa gown as their pick for the You Choose exhibition.

"The story of Sanyukta discovering the newspapers under the floorboards of her home and upcycling them into an elegant wedding gown resonates with current concerns around the sustainability of the fashion industry.

"The Pippa wedding gown has decades of stories literally printed into its folds and pleats and is a timeless example of how designers are finding creative new ways to source and use materials to create more ethical and eco-friendly clothing.”

Sanyukta Shrestha’s Pippa gown was made from 1980s era newspapers discovered under the floorboards of her home .Sanyukta Shrestha’s Pippa gown was made from 1980s era newspapers discovered under the floorboards of her home .
Sanyukta Shrestha’s Pippa gown was made from 1980s era newspapers discovered under the floorboards of her home .

Sanyukta’s Pippa gown will be featured alongside alongside designers including Kenzo, Ossie Clark, Junya Watanabe, Jean Paul Gaultier and Gareth Pugh, as well as historic treasures including a 1750s man’s worsted wool banyan, an 1881 beetle wing embroidered day dress and 1940s women’s cape.

Related topics:Museums