Noting how shimmering beads and sequins used in the fashion industry are industrially made from petroleum plastic or synthetic resins, designer Elissa Brunato has created a sustainable and compostable alternative made from a crystalline form of cellulose sourced from wood.
Called Bio Iridescent Sequin, the material utilizes the wood’s natural ability of forming structures that refract light to create an “alluring visual aesthetics of beetle wings” without the use of chemicals.
“Within the current fashion and textiles system, the embroidery industry is limited by unsustainable material options and a lack of innovation,” said Brunato.
“Looking into consumer patterns on a mass scale, it is impractical for embroidery to be recycled from its base fabric, consequently, these tiny plastic components are sitting in landfill and entering our environment through various waste streams.”
“It is the optimal moment to re-envision the origin of materials that are currently petroleum-derived to initiate a more circular textile economy,” stated Brunato.
Developed alongside material scientists Hjalmar Granberg and Tiffany Abitbol from the Research Institute of Sweden (RISE), the Bio Iridescent Sequin is created by moulding the liquid cellulose material.
The Bio Iridescent Sequin is described as being lightweight and as strong as plastic. Said to take a day to create in the labratory, a variety of shapes can also be achived.
“As the material forms very strong bonds, the sequins are light and use very little cellulose per sequin,” explained Brunato. “In the future, the cellulose could originate from anything from fruit peels, or algae to used denim and waste paper. For a tree, as in the case of the first sequins I’ve made, the cellulose takes about a hundred years to form sufficiently. This is remarkably short in comparison to crude oil, which takes thousands of years to form.”
“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,” added Brunato. “These approaches have the potential to outshine the previous options in a way that is more forward thinking and innovative.”
