Blackpool Student’s Topiary-inspired Dress to be Unveiled at Global Event

A young textile student from Blackpool is excitedly counting down the days to the unveiling of her most special fashion creation to date, set to play its part in an event celebrated worldwide.

Hex Gregson, in her final year at UCLan, will be heading to Levens Hall and Gardens, in the southern Lake District, on Sunday May 14, to unveil what could be the world’s first dress inspired by topiary.  

The unveiling will take place on World Topiary Day – the global celebration founded by the historic Hall and Gardens, which puts it centre-stage within the topiary world, as gardens from the USA to France, celebrate and share news on social media.

Hex’s Regency-style dress, described as very Downton-esque, carries a motif, which she designed following an early April visit to Levens Hall and Gardens, in which she spent time in the world’s oldest topiary garden.  

On that day, she made sketches and gained colour inspiration for the design that she has subsequently created and transferred to the dress. Other references to topiary will also adorn the dress, but Hex is keeping many details top-secret at present.

Hex will be unveiling this creation as her family watch on, knowing that taking on such a mammoth task has not been terribly easy, given that Hex suffers from ME, is in pain continuously and can become exhausted very easily. Finding it hard to work from a desk, she embraced textiles because sewing was something she could do whilst sitting in bed.

This project will contribute to Hex’s final degree, as well as to World Topiary Day celebrations at Levens Hall and Gardens, which will include special ‘talking topiary’ tours and table-top demonstrations of topiary by the European Boxwood and Topiary Society.

Hex was originally invited to be behind this special fashion project and creative response to topiary, when Levens Hall and Gardens sought a student to contribute in this way to World Topiary Day.  This was true serendipity, as Hex’s passion is English manor houses and she had already decided to focus her final degree work on this topic.  When her tutor told her about the possibility of being involved, Hex says, “my jaw just dropped.”

Hex has just recorded a podcast for the Poodling Around podcast show, in which she describes what the project means to her.  She says:  I'm literally counting down the days. I've never done something like this before, so I'm super-hyper. I'm still a child at heart, so I'm still getting excited about things. It should be really fun to do and it’s fantastic that I will be able to speak to people about it.  I think it'll be a great addition to World Topiary Day.”

The former Blackpool Sixth Form and McKee College House student is now putting the finishing touches to the dress and praying for good weather on Sunday. Visitors are sure to be in for a treat, as they see the dress unveiled in a garden featuring more than 100 pieces of topiary, with some dating as far back as 1694.  Highlights include quirky pieces such as Queen Elizabeth II and her Maids of Honour, the Toppling Wedding Cake, the Top Hat, Darth Vader and Homer Simpson, not to mention the two dramatic Umbrella trees.

Anyone wishing to head to Levens Hall and Gardens to see Hex Gregson’s topiary-inspired dress, can pay standard admission to the Hall and Gardens on the day, enjoying all the other activities within this price.  The doors open at 10am for Hall tours (subject to availability) and at 11am for general admission.  Last entry is at 3pm.  Levens Hall and Gardens is located less than five miles from Junction 36 of the M6 south of Kendal.

To find out more, head to www.levenshall.co.uk or the podcast at bit.ly/42jYnB4         

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Editors notes

Levens Hall & Gardens is a historic house in the South Lakes, Cumbria, close to Kendal and home to the world's oldest topiary gardens, dating from 1694, created by French garden designer, Guillaume Beaumont. The Hall is a stunning Elizabethan house built around a 13th century pele tower and has close links to the Duke of Wellington, as well as various items which once belonged to him and Napoleon Bonaparte. Levens Park is home to the rare Bagot goats gifted to the Bagot family and a place in which to stroll and enjoy nature. Levens Kitchen is the contemporary new cafe, full of delights for cake lovers and foodies alike.