An organic dress celebrates Wisconsin’s native perennials and pollinator plants
In Erin Schneider’s world view, plants and people co-exist in harmony, a notion clearly expressed in the floral dress she created last summer using botanicals harvested from Hilltop Community Farm. Erin is a co-owner and land steward with her husband Rob McClure of the 60-acre farm in La Valle, Wisconsin, which is situated on traditional Ho Chunk Nation lands, about 90 minutes northwest of Madison. Their tagline is “Hand Agriculture for the 21st Century,” a perfect label for their annual bounty of flowers, herbs, produce and orchard fruit grown for a loyal CSA customer base.
Erin provides her wedding and event customers a wide range of blooms, including many familiar perennials and annuals, but she is most passionate about prairie and pollinator plants, as well as native varieties not often considered for floral design. She hopes to elevate awareness of Midwest prairie flowers and grasses, which are showcased in a Wisconsin-inspired botanical couture garment created for American Flowers Week, an effort to encourage more of her customers and the florists to share a similar appreciation.
“The native plants I use in floral design and pollinator-friendly flowers are alluring to me,” Erin explains. “My floral couture weaves in elements of seeds, fruits, and soil, reflecting the role of wind and sun and some of the weather extremes Midwest growers have to contend with.”
Erin recruited collaborators to help realize her vision, which began with a sleeveless, mid-calf-length, Art Deco-style chemise in an earth-tone linen. She asked Aimee Ziegahn, a former wedding client, to model the look. Linda Gillen, a farm-neighbor and talented seamstress, stitched the garment prior to the addition of blooms, seeds and foliage, botanical details from 38 species at Hilltop Community Farm. These include peak-of-summer ingredients like goldenrod, Queen Anne’s Lace, native sunflower, amaranth, Joe Pye weed, wild quinine (Parthenium integrifolium), rattlesnake master, vervain, celosia, and strawflowers. Aronia and Viburnum berries, plus other pods, were used as jewelry along the neckline.
My floral couture weaves in elements of seeds, fruits, and soil, reflecting the role of wind and sun and some of the weather extremes Midwest growers have to contend with.”
erin schneider, hilltop community farm
Erin is attracted to spirals and composite (daisy-like) flower shapes, which she recreated as a decorative pattern. Woven through those focal details are contrasting colors and textures of blooms suggesting the curved flight path of insects that pollinate the flowers featured on the dress. “Above all, I hoped to shed light on the value of local, sustainably-grown flowers and the resulting collaboration between land and plants, flower farm, florist, and design team to offer beauty, style, and truly unique designs for our clients and customers — all while supporting the other life forms making these flowers possible,” Erin adds.
Linda also designed and fabricated a fanciful insect cape attached with ribbon ties to rest on the model’s shoulders. The textile body of the insect is stuffed to give it a three-dimensional quality and drape down the back of the floral dress. Mesh netting and sheer organza, embroidered to resemble whimsical dragonfly wings, float behind Amy as she dances and twirls with the carefree spirit of a child. She wears a floral headpiece using many of the same elements embellishing the garment and holds a small gathering of stems in her hands.
After the photo shoot, we walked out into the prairie and there were literally spiral clouds of dragonflies everywhere along the forest’s edge. I feel like they were thanking us, or just wanting to participate.”
erin schneider
Creating a botanical couture garment so deeply connected to Hilltop Community Farm gave new meaning to nature as the ultimate artist. “Anytime you commit to engaging with the plant world or with nature, magic can happen,” Erin maintains. “After the photo shoot, we walked out into the prairie and there were literally spiral clouds of dragonflies everywhere along the forest’s edge. I feel like they were thanking us, or just wanting to participate. It was really cool.”
Creative Team:
Floral palette: Wisconsin-grown native perennials, grasses, annuals and fruiting berries
Lead designer/flower farmer: Erin Schneider, Hilltop Community Farm, hilltopcommunityfarm.com, @hilltopfarm_flower_fruitlove
Design assistance: Diane Mikonowicz, Rob McClure
Seamstress: Linda Gillen
Model: Aimee Ziegahn
Photographer: Patricia Espedal, Treasure People Photography, treasurepeople.com, @treasurepeople