In Sweden, designers and materials scientists have teamed up to create biodegradable sequins from cellulose. Designer Elissa Brunato created the Bio Iridescent Sequin in collaboration with Hjalmar Granberg and Tiffany Abitbol, materials scientists from the RISE Research Institutes of Sweden.
The fashion industry—which has come under fire in recent years for its unsustainable practices—has traditionally used sequins made from petroleum-based plastic and synthetic resins.
The Bio Iridescent Sequin line boasts the same shine and range of color options as conventional sequins. Cellulose has natural light refraction properties, and iridescent colors can be embedded in the cellulose structure without using chemicals.
“It is an entirely new way to approach color and finishes within the Fashion and Textiles Industry,” according to the Bio Iridescent Sequin project. “Re-imagining the landscape of available materials that we have on this earth can allow for safer and more environmentally sustainable approaches to shimmering color. These approaches have the potential to outshine the previous options in a way that is more forward-thinking and innovative.”