No. 17

Can the clothing we wear be returned to the environment seamlessly? Can impermanence be an asset? Can we imagine and inspire a better future?

Independent fashion designer Lien Tong teamed up with Jenny Lai from NOT to create a 3-piece couture collection. The garments are made from hand-poured agar bioplastic, a mixture of agar agar (a plant-based gelatin from red algae), water, and glycerin. The pieces are 100% biodegradable, edible, and will return to the earth to feed new life. The collection was created during a design residency at Gem Studio in Oakland, California.

Photographer: Jeff St. Andrews / Model: Sitalbanat Muktari / Agar bioplastic recipe from Materiom