A man’s remarkable journey of grief and healing has gained global attention as he crafted a dress from stinging nettles. Allan Brown, a creative living in Brighton, embarked on a seven-year mission to turn nettles into fabric after his wife’s death. Brown, who initially became curious about nettle cloth while walking his dog in the woodland, was unable to find examples of it, which fueled his desire to make it himself. Through years of trial and error, Brown learned ancient crafts, such as spinning thread and weaving cloth, before finally completing the dress made from 14,400 feet of thread.
Tragically, during the years of crafting, Brown also experienced the loss of his father in 2016 and his wife Alex’s cancer diagnosis and subsequent passing in 2018. In the aftermath of his wife’s death, Brown found solace and direction in working with nettles and the dress. Spinning thread became a therapeutic activity for him, offering respite from the grief and panic he felt. Brown described it as a gift that helped him hold himself together during the difficult times.
What started as a personal challenge took an unexpected turn when Brown enlisted the help of his friend, filmmaker Dylan Howitt, to create a how-to video for YouTube. The video aimed to share Brown’s findings on nettle material with the textile community, but it quickly gained millions of views and was widely shared. Encouraged by its success, Howitt decided to make a feature film documenting the progress of the nettle dress. The resulting 68-minute documentary, titled The Nettle Dress, achieved critical acclaim and won the audience award at Brighton’s film festival, Cinecity, in 2022.
As the project gained traction, a Facebook group called Nettles for Textiles was created, attracting nearly 28,000 followers from around the world. These followers, in turn, helped crowdfund the documentary’s production. The documentary became a word-of-mouth sensation, with sell-out preview screenings. In a heartwarming completion of the cycle, Brown’s daughter Oonagh, 21, became the model for the nettle dress, adding another layer of personal significance to the project. Brown sees the dress as a celebration and intends for it to be worn by future generations, much like his late wife wished for their family to move forward after her passing.
The nettle dress project not only showcases Brown’s dedication and artistic skill but also highlights the therapeutic properties of creative expression in times of grief. Through spinning thread and weaving cloth, Brown found solace and a sense of purpose during his difficult journey. The project’s unexpected success brought attention to the beauty and sustainability of slow fashion. Brown has continued his passion for creating garments, exploring the greenest of slow fashion as he honors his late wife’s memory and embraces the healing power of creativity.
This inspirational story of love, loss, and artistic endeavor serves as a reminder of the transformative power of human resilience and the healing process. Allan Brown’s journey of crafting a dress from stinging nettles has touched millions, inspiring others to find solace and direction in their own personal projects.
