AWARD YEAR
2021
CATEGORY
Body
GOALS
Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure, Responsible Consumption & Production
KEYWORDS
Bioplastic, sustainable fashion , new materials, Bio-Textile, embroidery
COUNTRY
United Kingdom
DESIGNED BY
Elissa Brunato
WEBSITE
https://www.elissabrunato.com/future_sequin.html
Bio Iridescent Sequin
Glittering disc-shaped beads from bioplastic based on cellulose extracted from trees.
Within the current fashion and textiles system, the embroidery industry is limited by unsustainable material options and a lack of innovation. Shimmering beads and sequins are industrially made from petroleum plastic or synthetic resins. Their use and disposal impose a huge environmental problem and contribute largely to the micro-plastic issue that planet Earth is currently facing.
Working alongside the RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Elissa Brunato created sequins for embroidery, that use wood’s ability to form structures that refract light. In this way, it is possible to shimmer naturally without added chemicals. It is an entirely new way to approach colour and finishes 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.