Muppets favourite Miss Piggy has been trying to drag Kermit the Frog down the aisle for as long as anyone can remember and it seems that she might finally have succeeded. The new Muppets Movie “Muppets Most Wanted” will shortly hit our screens and Miss Piggy may finally be about the fulfil her dreams as acclaimed designer Vivienne Westwood was commissioned to design a wedding dress for the romantic pig.

A Long Wait

After years of yearning the advanced publicity for the new film suggests that Miss Piggy will finally get her big day. Pictures of the wedding dress have been released and it is an extravagant couture affair partnered with a long veil. Interestingly the beautiful Westwood design features paillettes (sparkly sequin-like trimmings) made from recycled bottles.

Recycling and Up-cycling

Recycling is currently a hot topic in the world of fashion. Clothing is far from environmentally friendly to manufacture and consumes a raft of valuable resources. With the planet’s resources depleting rapidly and the production of garments causing the leeching of harmful chemicals into the environment, it is becoming imperative to recycle as much clothing and textiles as possible. Many fashion collections, kids clothing brands, like Scotch Shrunk, and high street retailers like the H&M Conscious Collection are now featuring recycled and organic fabrics and several brands have made moves to include recycled materials like bottles in their garments. Apart from the costly gowns from a handful of designers the trend for recycling and up-cycling does not seem to have reached the world of wedding dresses but Miss Piggy’s gown could raise awareness of the issues.

Limited Choices for Brides

There is increasing interest in eco-friendly bridal gowns amongst the environmentally aware but few suitable gowns are available and those that are on offer are beyond the budget of most brides. The market is becoming ever more price driven which is a dangerous trend for the planet. It is possible to produce wedding dresses using organic textiles, recycles products and up-cycled fabrics but they come at a premium which is making the market for such dresses limited.

The Damage

The only way most brides can attempt to help the planet is to donate their gown to charity, sell it on or send it for recycling. Giving the gowns another life will certainly help but the situation would be far better if more gowns were eco-friendly in the first place. The vast majority of dresses are fashioned from synthetic fabrics and even those made of natural silks and cottons could be damaging to the environment. Cotton cultivation and the dying of fabrics can see the harmful chemicals in fertilisers dyes leeched into the water table.

The Future of Bridal Gowns

I think we are a long way from the bridal industry making a big move towards earth friendly practices. This will only happen when the demand is there and because bridal budgets are so stretched that is unlikely to happen any time soon. Hopefully the publicity surrounding Miss Piggy’s wedding dress will raise awareness of the issues and it should certainly attract a great deal of attention.

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Article By Sally Stacey