OFF SEASON, MARGATE
​Infinite Growth, 2026
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Label Hjem and Christine Teeling present their collaborative piece Infinite Growth as part of Off Season Margate 2026, examining overconsumption and shifting ideas of value through an exploration of heritage processes and alignment with nature.
The tapestry presents an assembled curation of de-constructed, post-consumer shirts of varying everyday fibre compositions that, through artisanal hand-dying processes, have had colour applied using a palette of natural extracts and food waste.
Textile panels have been dyed in recycled dye baths, allowing for variation in colour and depth. The colour was further altered through natural pH modifications using iron, vinegar and soda ash, producing a range of tonal blends and creating individual pieces that contribute to a larger, harmonious form. These were reconstructed and adorned with visible white stitching; an intentionally obvious technique to further celebrate the geometry of the shapes derived from original garment’s familiar silhouette.
Through the physical act of reworking and reimagining the fabrics, the artists hope to pose questions relating to value, material life cycles and the broader ecological and cultural implications of our waste; emphasising that value cannot be measured purely in economic terms, but is also found in the relationships we care for as part of a greater whole.
The collaboration grew out of their extensive experience and time working together in the fashion industry. It was the recognition of a strong synergy in their ethos that inspired this project; sharing and integrating evolving philosophies that prioritise alternative methods and processes, moving beyond extractive and harmful practices towards approaches that bring positive impact.
Christine’s approach to the work has been fundamentally shaped by a desire to shift away from toxic, chemical heavy processes and to embrace the seasonality, movement and mindfulness found in working with natural colour.
“Natural colour is a living energy, not fixed to a single moment, but continuously changing over its lifespan as it inhabits the textile fibre.
In my co-creation with natural colour, it invites me to reflect on the duality of sensitivity and perseverance present in the natural world. It asks me to take time, to observe and to harmonise, not just with the textiles themselves, but to the broader context in which they exist. In doing so, I am confronted with questions of significance and meaning.”
In redefining post-consumer garments, Label Hjem poses a challenging perspective of our own habits, attitude towards material goods and our thinking surrounding the world’s colossal waste issue.
“We tend not to consider what happens when we tire of a piece of clothing. Beyond the textile drop-off, we are given the gratitude of walking away knowing it is out of our hands, but are rarely faced with the reality of what happens to that garment, where it ends up and how it impacts other existences, livelihoods and environments.
Displaying the shirts in this way is confronting, but simultaneously exhibits the skill and labour of those who originally made it.”
When looking to the future, we can ask ourselves fundamental questions: What does value truly mean to us? How might we challenge the beliefs and assumptions we have long taken for granted, and in doing so change our greater collective understanding? In considering our place within the natural world, we are reminded that we are not separate from the larger ecosystems, but intertwined with them.
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