London calling: Rebecca visits Buckingham Palace for a dazzling display of artisanal fashion

February found Nest’s founder, Rebecca van Bergen, hopping across the pond to bear personal witness to the dazzling display of fashion looks created through The Commonwealth Fashion Exchange, an initiative spearheaded by Livia Firth’s Eco-Age in partnership with Swarovski, Woolmark, MATCHESFASHION.COM, and Nest.

“While naturally already very partial to hand craftsmanship, the looks that greeted me inside the impressive halls of Buckingham Palace were more than I could have expected. It was a perfect manifestation of fashion returning to its artisanal roots when cultural nuance, careful construction, and the human touch all reigned supreme. At a time when our world often feels divided, I find myself struck time and time again by the unifying power of craft and fashion alike. Our shared love for this wearable beauty created with a mixture of skill and artistry brings us all together. This was most definitely the feeling in the room at the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange reception.”

With such important leaders and tastemakers such as HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, Anna Wintour, and VOGUE itself applauding the initiative and its stunning outcomes, the reception seemed to confirm the onset of a new era in which hand craftsmanship holds a seat of reverence in the world of fashion. We feel incredibly proud as an organization to lend our support to those artisan businesses who participated in the Exchange, so that this bright reception is the first of many more opportunities for their work to shine.