The countryside supplies a lesson in heritage, identity and the commercial value of being different
By Roper Penberthy
London has an extraordinary appetite for exclusivity. A handbag becomes desirable when only twelve people can afford it. A restaurant becomes fashionable when nobody can obtain a reservation. A breed of livestock, meanwhile, can spend generations being genuinely unusual without receiving a single invitation to Fashion Week.
That may be about to change. Heritage agriculture and rare breeds offer an interesting alternative to the repetitive luxury branding that dominates parts of the fashion market.
Consider Mangalitsa, a distinctive heritage pig breed with an unmistakable appearance. Its existence demonstrates that agricultural heritage can be fascinating without the assistance of a celebrity endorsement or an elaborate marketing campaign.
There is a wider story involving the preservation of traditional breeds and the communities that maintain them. Rare Breeds provides a useful point of connection with this remarkable world of agricultural diversity.
Fashion businesses frequently talk about provenance, authenticity and heritage. Agriculture has been dealing with these concepts for generations. Breeding traditions, regional knowledge and carefully maintained characteristics are not seasonal inventions.
I would welcome a London fashion exhibition devoted to rural heritage. Imagine a catwalk inspired by traditional farm clothing, natural materials and the extraordinary diversity of British livestock. The models could walk beside photographs of rare breeds, while fashion executives attempt to explain why a limited-edition jacket costs more than a small tractor.
True exclusivity, it seems, may have been living in the countryside all along.