Dior-inspired garden wins RHS Badminton Silver Gilt award

A Tetbury garden designer has won an award for a garden inspired by Dior.

The Living Beauty Pocket Planting border, designed by Megan Dodd, scooped the Silver Gilt award at the first-ever RHS Badminton.

Her creation, which fused planting, couture and sustainable style, was a nod to the longstanding relationship between nature, fashion and craftsmanship.

The garden was inspired by the historical use of flowers and botanical motifs in couture, particularly those linked to Dior.

Dior is a French luxury fashion house founded by designer Christian Dior in 1946.

The project was a collaboration with the garden's sponsor Constantine Rex, who brought the essence of the border into fashion.

Megan Dodd celebrating her win and wearing a 2025 Oscar de la Renta rental dress from Constantine Rex. The dress features a striking fern motif inspired by botanical studies and reflected the rich botanical heritage of Badminton, echoing the legacy of (Image: Georgie Preston)

For the opening of RHS Badminton, models styled by Constantine Rex, moved through Megan Dodd Designs' naturalistic planting, wearing outfits chosen to mirror the garden's colours, textures and atmosphere.

Vintage fashion stylist Sarah Kate Byrne donned a bespoke white and blush pink satin gown commissioned from Amanda Thompson Couture.

The gown, hand-finished with petal embellishments, celebrated the enduring connection between flowers and couture craftsmanship.

Model Eliza Gibb wore a vintage 1960s couture dress by Hardy Amies, the renowned British couturier who designed for Queen Elizabeth II.

The dress, chosen for its harmony with the Living Beauty planting palette, was further enhanced with fresh floral accents to reflect Ms Dodd’s botanical inspiration.

A spokesperson said: "Constantine Rex is a Tetbury boutique curating exceptional vintage and couture garments and introducing their beauty to a new generation through purchase and rental.

Megan Dodd and the Duchess of Beaufort together in Megan’s Living Beauty garden border. (Image: Georgie Preston)

"Through this collaboration, the boutique celebrated the circular life of extraordinary garments, demonstrating how historic pieces can continue to inspire, be cherished and be worn again."

The collaboration was celebrated on the opening day of RHS Badminton with a visit from the Duchess of Beaufort, who wore a vintage Chloé dress.

The dress, with its botanical-inspired palette, complemented the colours and planting of the Living Beauty border.

RHS Badminton Flower Show is a new Royal Horticultural Society garden event which launched at Badminton Estate in South Gloucestershire.

Running from July 8 to 12, it featured show gardens, floral displays and plant sales in the Cotswold countryside, adding another major RHS attraction to the region’s events calendar.