Few things are as innovative as Icelandic designer Valdís Steinarsdóttir's recent debut—a range of jelly clothing that can be melted and remade. Unlike conventional fashion design where one needs to cut from a pattern to create a garment, the manufacturing process of the "transparent, gelatinous garments" requires a casting mold. The primary materials—gelatin or agar, "a gelling agent derived from red algae."
Valdís Steinarsdóttir presented her jelly clothing—more specifically vest tops—at the DesignMarch festival in Reykjavík. The innovation of this collection cannot be reduced only to material use but it extends to the manufacturing process. Each garment can be melted down and reused as a new garment. As such, it contributes to the closed-loop system that is so important to the fashion industry. In addition, it also eliminates excess scraps and synthetic material use.
Translucent Gelatinous Garments
Valdís Steinarsdóttir Jelly Clothing are Revolutionizing Fashion
Trend Themes
1. Meltable Clothing - Designing clothes that can be melted down and reshaped into a new garment is a trend that could revolutionize the fashion industry by promoting sustainability and reducing waste.
2. Jelly Textiles - Exploring the use of gelatin and agar, a gelling agent derived from red algae, as primary materials for clothing could give rise to a new wave of innovative, translucent fashion design.
3. Closed-loop Fashion - The closed-loop system, which involves producing garments that can be reused or upcycled, presents an opportunity to create a more sustainable fashion industry and reduce synthetic material waste.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion Design - Fashion designers could explore the use of non-traditional materials and manufacturing processes to create innovative, sustainable garments.
2. Textile Manufacturing - Textile manufacturers could invest in research and development to create more environmentally-friendly textile materials, such as gelatin or agar, to reduce synthetic material waste.
3. Waste Management and Recycling - The closed-loop system of creating and reusing garments could require additional waste management and recycling processes to promote sustainability and minimize waste.