Seaweed.

purpose.

Working with Icelandic artist Katrín Thorvaldsdottir and Emblamar Studio to explore seaweed as a medium for fashion. Varieties of kelp were foraged and preserved in a patented solution by Katrín; the whole project was exploratory and spontaneous. Though the preservation was methodical, for us designers there were no rules, no end goal as such, and no constraints over additional materials that could be used. It was a collaborative effort to create a collection of garments.

details.

Receiving a batch of seaweed every few weeks allowed for playtime. Each species offered different characteristics - like flexibility, texture, stickiness - and it was with this that design came into focus. How can you create wearable clothing from small pieces of material that frankly will be as they want to be? Utilising classic machine running stitch, using hand-binding stitches, punching holes to tie threads or other malleable kelp, weaving, and making parcels were all experiments I thoroughly enjoyed.

The project took on an additional connection when I wanted to incorporate my own sense of place with the material and collaboration. By foraging seaweed from the coast of my home town, I further explored the extraction of colour, from which I dyed reclaimed cotton yarns to use as the binding medium.

The final garment consisted of a “top” and “dress” constructed with a tying method (sturdy pieces hole punched and tied with malleable lighter strips), a woven panel (no additional materials), and a stitched strip panel (using seaweed-dyed yarns).