Veggies in vogue

South Africa design graduate Tarryn Chudleigh whips up a fresh new way to think about food and fashion.

In her graduate portfolio, Tarryn Chudleigh explores the relationship between food and fashion through Project Homegrown – an app for which she received the inaugural Student of the Year award at the recent 2014 Financial Mail AdFocus Awards. 

In an age where food security has become increasingly uncertain, Chudleigh has approached the problem in a way that will resonate with trend-conscious urban youth: by drawing a correlation between fresh produce and fashion, which both undergo seasonal cycles.

The idea behind the conceptual campaign, produced in collaboration with copywriter Kelly van Niekerk and designed for the Oranjezicht City Farm in Cape Town, is to eat in season. “By eating in season you are using the earth’s natural resources and eradicating the importation of out-of-season fruit and vegetables which contributes to massive amounts of carbon emissions,” she says. “And by eating seasonally you’re also supporting local agriculture, which creates job opportunities.”   

Her eco-campaign encourages people to download the Project Homegrown app and subscribe to the service for weekly deliveries of all the most in-season vegetables. The posters for the campaign each feature a different season and a model wearing a corresponding seasonal vegetable as an accessory. The copy uses quips such as “Farm Fresh Style” and “Greens are the New Black” to cement the idea that the relationship between fashion and food extends beyond the way you feel about your waistline.

Making a difference through design is important to this Port Elizabeth native, a former professional surfer who changed stream to graphic design and art direction. “Design is a universal language and if used through the right channels, we can build a better and more sustainable world.”

Chudleigh graduated from the Red & Yellow School in Cape Town.