Mia Wanaka Brimilcombe, a graduate of Central Saint Martins (CSM), creates garments and accessories using a wide range of materials. Her practice begins with the concept of sustainability that the fashion industry has long pursued with near-obsessive intensity. From biomaterials such as algae and plant starch to delicate rose petals and even chunky parts from robotic toys, she recognizes no boundaries. For her, there are no limits to materials.
The works in the slides demonstrate this breadth directly. Purple cabbage layered with transparent bioplastic forms a shoe, while rose petals are grafted onto a Nike silhouette. The petals dry and curl, and the translucent materials shimmer under light. The forms are familiar, but the surfaces are strange. The boundaries between clothing and footwear, between organic and artificial, collapse within a single piece.
Mia transforms every object in the world into artistic material. Rather than selecting materials within the framework of fashion design, she allows the materials themselves to determine the form. Sustainability appears not as a declaration but as a process of experiment. Biomaterials decay, petals wither, plastics harden. The transformation itself becomes part of the work.
What will her next material be? Most likely something not yet classified as a fashion material. Mia Wanaka Brimilcombe's practice is the process of discovering materials itself. What objects do you think can become clothing?
The works in the slides demonstrate this breadth directly. Purple cabbage layered with transparent bioplastic forms a shoe, while rose petals are grafted onto a Nike silhouette. The petals dry and curl, and the translucent materials shimmer under light. The forms are familiar, but the surfaces are strange. The boundaries between clothing and footwear, between organic and artificial, collapse within a single piece.
Mia transforms every object in the world into artistic material. Rather than selecting materials within the framework of fashion design, she allows the materials themselves to determine the form. Sustainability appears not as a declaration but as a process of experiment. Biomaterials decay, petals wither, plastics harden. The transformation itself becomes part of the work.
What will her next material be? Most likely something not yet classified as a fashion material. Mia Wanaka Brimilcombe's practice is the process of discovering materials itself. What objects do you think can become clothing?
FAQ
What materials does Mia Wanaka Brimilcome work with?
Mia Wanaka Brimilcome creates clothing and accessories using bio-materials like algae and plant starch, along with rose petals, cabbage, and robot toy parts. A Central Saint Martins graduate, she explores experimental design centered on sustainability.
Where can I see Mia Wanaka Brimilcome's work?
Mia Wanaka Brimilcome's work can be viewed on her Instagram @miaaawb. She has also showcased her pieces at the Central Saint Martins graduate show and related exhibitions.
What is bio-material fashion?
Bio-material fashion uses biologically derived resources like algae, mushroom mycelium, and plant starch to create clothing and accessories. Designers like Mia Wanaka Brimilcome are experimenting with bio-materials to advance sustainability in fashion.
