Modules¶
This chapter explores the concept and development of biodegradable plant pots integrated directly into the garment. Far from traditional containers, these pots are sewn or attached to the dress, becoming both functional and symbolic components of the design. Each pot acts as a living module, designed to hold soil or a growing substrate, allowing flowers and plants to grow from the garment itself, transforming the piece into a living ecosystem.
These biodegradable pots are more than containers; they are sculptural modules, each uniquely crafted to reflect and represent different systems of the human body. As introduced in the Garment Design chapter, there are six distinct module types, each corresponding to a vital system: nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, reproductive, and urinary.
Designed using parametric design tools, each module adapts to the organic shape of the body while also responding to the needs of the plant. The use of biodegradable materials ensures that the modules eventually return to the Earth, reinforcing the garment’s relationship with natural cycles of growth, decay, and renewal.
Concept¶
The biodegradable pots are not only functional growing spaces; they serve as poetic vessels that connect the human body to the natural world. Their placement on the garment is not random—they are designed to align with specific bodily systems, turning the wearer into both caretaker and symbolic representation of ecological interdependence.
Each module represents one of six body systems: nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, reproductive, and urinary. These are the systems that keep us alive—processing, connecting, cleansing, regenerating. By assigning a plant to grow from each system, the garment transforms the body into a nurturing ecosystem, blurring the line between biology and botany, between the human and the plant.
The design of each module was developed through a parametric design approach, inspired by the venation patterns found in leaves. These natural branching structures guide the shape of the pots, creating organic and intricate forms that echo the way nutrients flow through a plant. This connection between botanical systems and body systems reinforces the symbiosis at the core of the garment. The modules are intentionally unique, each one shaped slightly differently, reflecting the diversity and irregular beauty found in both the human body and the plant world.
Parametric design¶
To bring the biodegradable modules to life, I worked with the parametric design software Grasshopper, a powerful visual programming tool integrated with Rhino. As mentioned earlier, the pattern for the modules was inspired by the venation of leaves, the intricate, branching structures that distribute nutrients and water throughout a plant. This natural system offered not only a conceptual base but also a visually rich and functional geometry for the modules.
The design process began with basic outline sketches created in Adobe Illustrator, where I established the silhouette and scale of each module. Once the outlines were defined, I imported them into Grasshopper to build the inner pattern structure.
To achieve the complex venation-inspired geometry, I used a plugin called Parakeet, a versatile toolset within Grasshopper that allows for the generation of sophisticated parametric patterns. Parakeet offers a wide range of generative design options, and by adjusting its parameters, I was able to customize the pattern density, flow, and direction to reflect both the anatomical inspiration and the needs of each module.