Wood You Can Wear as Fashion

Photo: Kingston University

When master’s fashion student Stefanie Nieuwenhuyse saw some bits of wood scattered across a workshop floor, she never imagined she’d be showing a line of plywood pieces at London Fashion Week. But that’s exactly what happened.

It all started when bio-waste firm InCrops Enterprise Hub challenged Nieuwenhuyse and her fashion colleagues at Kingston University in London to show how sustainable materials could be used in fashion.

After she was given the assignment, the aspiring designer took a moment to glance around the workroom and found immediate inspiration.

“I saw some tiny diamond-shaped pieces of wood on the university workshop floor – I suspect they were window shapes cut out by an architecture student,” the 24-year-old originally from Amersfoort, Holland remembered. “They created really eye-catching patterns on the ground. So, I scooped some up and took them home with me.”

Nieuwenhuyse realized the discarded woodchips reminded her of a snakeskin print bag she’d just bought from a second-hand store. She started experimenting with techniques to create the same snakeskin pattern using only her wood waste.

“I wanted to see if I could mimic the look and feel of reptile skin…to try to create an eco-friendly alternative to this high-end fabric,” she said.

After spending the next few months testing out multiple techniques, Nieuwenhuyse finally found the right method to create the scaly pattern. She used a laser cutter to shape discarded plywood rescued from campus workshops and painstakingly attached them to organic cotton fabric by hand.

The final collection includes a corset, a full-length dress, pants, necklaces and a pair of shoes – all created from trashed wood. The designer said she is even considering making a snakeskin-effect bag to replace her beloved second-hand purchase.

The young designer presented her designs to Incrops via Skype from her home in Holland. And her innovative use of materials attracted instant attention from higher-ups, who said the crafty student may very well create a niche for herself in sustainable fashion.

“Stefanie’s work stood out, as she had combined using a very simple material, plywood, with modern laser-cutting techniques to create a material that looked fabulous,” said Liliya Serazetdinova, the company’s business manager.

Incrops plans to exhibit Nieuwenhuyse’s work, along with that of her Kingston colleagues, at a business networking event in London this month and are “keen to see what possibilities can grow from her discovery,” the company said.

The student also made a splash with her designs at London Fashion Week last month as part of Kingston University’s MA Fashion presentation. If growing buzz in the fashion press is any indication, the sky is the limit for this creative co-ed and her wood-inspired designs.