Bio iridescent sequin
“Can nature offer possibilities for sustainable shimmering sequins?”
A wave of innovation has picked up the fashion industry out of its old foundations. Biological elements are being engineered in the search for more sustainable materials. It is the optimal moment to rethink the origin of materials that are currently petroleum derived.
This project harnesses bio technologies to create colourful shimmering sequins from naturally abundant cellulose, a material with the added benefit of being lightweight, strong and compostable. By redesigning a sequin from the base structure up, Elissa has been able to rethink the production process by forming them in moulds to eliminate waste.
Working alongside Material Scientists Hjalmar Granberg and Tiffany Abitbol from the RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, they created shimmering iridescent colours embedded within the material structure of cellulose. In this way, it is possible for the future bio iridescent sequin to shimmer naturally without added chemicals. It is an entirely new way to approach finishes and colour within the fashion and textiles industry.
Re-imagining the landscape of available materials that we have on this earth can allow for safer and more environmentally sustainable approaches to shimmering colour. These approaches have the potential to outshine the previous options in a way that is more forward thinking and innovative.