Experience 2

riding a motorcycle in Faial

• knit dress w scented bio-plastic flower pattern

The dress features a scent journey/path, with three distinct sections of fragrance inspired by Faial, Azores, bringing the experience to life in a unique way. The dress pattern is simplified and zero-waste, reusing fabric cuts to create ornaments for the garment and accessories.

• scented kombucha leather shorts

Designed as a second-skin material. This garment is a research into scented grown-materials. The design incorporates an adjustable system to accommodate multiple sizes.

• scented kombucha leather motorbike gloves

Symbolizes the metaphorical sensation of holding nature in your hands.

• vegetal fur top

Made from cattail reeds harvested near the textile lab in Amsterdam, explores new natural alternatives to traditional fur. It embraces the reeds' natural shape after processing.

• egg shells bio-material wearable sculpture

vegetal fur top

For the making process of the vegetal fur using cattail reeds (Typha spp.), I followed the documentation from the BioFabricating Materials Week. You can check it out here!

The cattail reeds season, which is crucial for harvesting the brown seed head fluff, typically occurs from late summer to early fall. By harvesting them in mid-January, the cattail seeds were much more mature and ripe compared to when I made my first vegetal sample in September. As a result, I noticed some changes in the process of making vegetal fur.

• The ripeness of the cattail seed heads influenced the final color of the vegetal fur, making it a deeper shade of brown compared to the earlier samples.

• I also noticed that during the process of applying glue to the brown seed heads, they can be easily poked, causing the fluff to "explode" and resulting in imperfections on the surface of the textile. This usually happens if you don’t work quickly enough, as the glue begins to dry. Touching the partially dried glue can pull some of the fur away, creating uneven patches.

• It’s very important to thoroughly massage the cattail after the glue and the cotton fabric on top have dried. This step helps to separate all the cattail fluff (seeds) from the central stick, where the seeds are naturally attached.

• Once they dry and you open them, you have 24 hours to shape them. After that, they become very hard, making it difficult to mold and sewing them, if that’s your intention, Attempting to shape them after they harden can easily rip the textile, causing the fluff to detach from the fabric.

However, you can use this hardness to your advantage if you want the pieces to retain their shape permanently. Additionally, you can experiment by mixing the glue with glycerin to see if it provides more flexibility and maneuverability.

scented bio-plastics

Infusing textiles with long-lasting scents is a fascinating and evolving field, particularly when aligned with bio-based materials and sustainable practices. Since this project seeks to expand the sensory dimensions of garments, I was captivated by the challenge of incorporating the sense of smell into garments.

I conducted a preliminary research on natural resources that could impart fragrance to bio-plastics and biomaterials. These include essential oils, absolutes, herbal infusions, spices, resins, and scented waxes.

• Riding a motorcycle in Faial is a deeply sensory experience—one of freedom, introspection, and connection to nature. I chose essential oils for their ability to evoke specific island scents, allowing garments to transport the wearer and the spectator into a vivid, emotional moment while fostering a personal connection to the experience.

BIO-PLASTICS RECIPES

Agar-agar bio-foil:

- 4gr Agar-agar
- 3g Glycerine
- 400ml Water


Gelatine bio-foil:

- 48 gr Gelatine
- 12gr Glycerine
- 240ml Water


Sodium Alginate bio-foil:

- 12gr Alginate
- 30gr Glycerine
- 400ml Water
- 10ml Sodium Chloride hydrate
- 100ml Water


ESSENTIAL OILS

- Lavender Spike Organic
- Sea Fennel Organic
- Rosemary Camphor Organic

For my initial samples, I experimented with three different bio-plastic recipes—agar-agar, gelatine, and sodium alginate—to evaluate which base would naturally retain scents for longer without any additives, using only essential oils and the core bio-plastic formulas.

For the agar-agar and gelatine, I applied four drops of essential oil onto petri dishes. After pouring a thin layer of bio-plastic onto each dish, I gently mixed the essential oil into the bio-plastic layer. For the sodium alginate, which uses a cold preparation method, I created three separate batches and infused each batch with essential oil before immersing it in the calcium chloride solution.

• After six days, the results were less than ideal. Agar-agar performed the best, particularly with the sea fennel essential oil, which retained its strong, oceanic aroma the longest. The other scents faded significantly.

• For the gelatin, the scent dissipated the fastest. Gelatin itself has a naturally strong odor, which overpowered the essential oil within three days.

• As for the sodium alginate, the scent was strong while the material was submerged in the calcium chloride solution during the first three days. However, once removed from the liquid and left to dry for an additional three days, the scent had almost entirely evaporated.

3 days

6 days

15 days

Alternative options to prolong the scent in agar-agar bioplastic:

1. Use a fixetive. Beeswax or Soy Wax, by melting a small amount of wax, infuse it with the essential oil, and mix it into the agar-agar solution./ Natural resins like benzoin, frankincense, or myrrh can act as natural fixatives. Dissolve the resin in the essential oil first and then add it to the bio-plastic mixture./ Alcohol-based tinctures or vanilla extract can act as a gentle fixative for lighter essential oils.
2. Encapsulate the Essential Oils. Lipids or Butters, natural oils like cocoa butter, shea butter, or even coconut oil can help bind the essential oil. Blend it into the agar-agar mixture while warm./ Silica Beads or Powders, by mixing the essential oil with a silica-based powder, then incorporate the infused powder into the bio-plastic.
3. Adding a thicker layer of agar-agar to create a more solid, less porous structure.
4. Infuse Oils in Glycerine. Mix the essential oil thoroughly into glycerine and allow it to sit for a day or two to fully infuse. Add the infused glycerine into the agar-agar bio-plastic recipe.
5. Layer or Coat with Wax to seal. Infuse essential oils directly into melted wax, then brush or spray a thin layer over the surface of the bio-plastic once it’s set./ Beeswax or candelilla wax can create a protective layer that reduces scent loss.
6. Dry plants/flowers as fillers. Use lavender, rosemary and fennel as fillers and see if it prolongs the scent.

Dry stuff infused in the water recipe: (tea) - 1 + 1/2 spoons of dry stuff - 200 ml water - 1 hour infusing

(there is a difference in the scents already between the infused and the blended recipes. The infused smell is stronger and herbal the blended are more earthy and concentrated)

Dry stuff blended in the water recipe: - 2 spoons of dry stuff - 300ml water - blend them - 1 hour infusing

Agar-agar bioplastic recipe: - 800ml water (200ml dry stuff infusions + 600ml water) - 8gr agar-agar - 7gr glycerine

application

• 3D flowers
• Beads
• Modular
• Laser cutted flower pattern

scented kombucha leather

The concept for the second look is rooted in the contrasts between rural and urban environments. I aimed to bring these elements to life through materiality, emphasizing grown, bio-based, and landscape-inspired materials as the focal points of the garments.

During my first experience creating kombucha cellulose in BioFabricating Week, I became fascinated with the material and its potential. Simple changes to the recipe, such as using different types of tea, could significantly alter the final texture, color and properties of the textile. The possibilities for laser cutting, natural dyeing, and its translucent, skin-like appearance intrigued me. However, one challenge I encountered was the material’s natural odor, which didn’t align with the focus on pleasant scents in this look.

• To address this, I aim to explore how essential oils could be infused into the material. Since kombucha is cellulose-based, similar to paper, it has the capacity to absorb liquids when in its dry stage. This characteristic provided an opportunity to saturate the textile with scents, enhancing its sensory qualities while maintaining its unique properties.

Start date: January 20, 2025

Recipe:

• 3L Water

• 6 bags Green Tea

• 340g White Sugar

• 1,5L White Vinegar

• 1 Kombucha Mother

To ensure best practices, I started with a smaller container and will gradually transfer the kombucha to larger containers over time. Fortunately, our bio lab had several Kombucha mothers available, so I used a very thin SCOBY to begin growing my kombucha cellulose.

It is crucial to adjust the bath's pH to match the Kombucha Mother's pH. To achieve this, I gradually added vinegar to the bath until I could match the SCOBY's pH of 3. After each addition of vinegar, I waited 15–20 minutes to allow the vinegar to mix thoroughly before testing the pH again.

Matching the pH was challenging, so I ultimately introduced the Mother into the bath when the pH reached 3.5.

It is essential to keep the kombucha in a warm environment. To achieve this, I placed it in the warmest area of Waag, the textile lab, with a heating pad underneath it at all times.

Unfortunately, my first kombucha bath did not show any signs of growth or stability after one week. Over the weekend, someone unintentionally turned off the heating pad beneath my container, which was meant to maintain the bath temperature between 25°C and 30°C for optimal growth. When I returned to the lab on Monday, the kombucha looked exactly the same as when I had left, but with the addition of some white fuzzy patches scattered across the bath.

The SCOBY was not floating, and there was a very thin brown growth in the bath. I wasn’t sure what this brown substance was, but it was unusual and seemed to be the only thing that had developed during the week. However, by Monday, the brown substance hadn’t grown any further since I last checked on Thursday. The white fuzzy patches, which appeared to be initial mold contamination, were the most noticeable issue.

I suspect this happened because I added 1.5 liters of vinegar to the bath in an attempt to match the pH of the SCOBY with that of the bath. In hindsight, this was probably not the best choice—I should have maintained the bath pH at 4 instead of trying to lower it to 3. Additionally, the SCOBY I used was quite thin and may not have been as healthy as I initially thought. It’s possible that the SCOBY had some underlying issues that contributed to the bath’s failure.

As a result, I decided to start over with a new bath and a fresh SCOBY on a smaller container. For this second attempt, I used the same recipe quantities that I had successfully used during Biofabricating Week, keeping the ingredients proportional and avoiding unnecessary modifications.

I also selected a thicker, healthier SCOBY this time, with high hopes that it will begin forming a thin, slimy sheet on the surface of the container within a few days. Fingers crossed for better results this time!

Start date: January 27, 2025

Recipe:

• 1,5L Water

• 4 bags Green Tea

• 125g White Sugar

• 100ml White Vinegar

• 1 Kombucha Mother

first recipe:

• 240ml water
• 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil (liquid)

• 10 drops of essential oil - sea fennel

• test1: 3hours submerged (immediate discoloration + separation?)

• test2: brushed (soaked) on one side

second recipe:

• 240ml water
• 1/2 tablespoon 70% alcohol
• 1/4 tablespoon coconut oil (liquid)

• 10 drops of essential oil - rosemary

• test1: 30min submerged (immediate discoloration)

• test2: lightly brushed on both sides

plan B

half-fabrication files