Published Sep 9, 2023 The Sea Ice Collection promotes sustainable “slow fashion” in an unexpected collaboration between scientists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, artists, and fashion designers.
The garments in the runway show are patterned after cross sections of sea ice collected by scientist Marc Oggier during an epic research expedition to the central Arctic Ocean in 2019.
“I never expected my work to appear on a fashion runway,” said Oggier, a postdoctoral fellow at the UAF International Arctic Research Center. “I love that it is being looked at in this new way.”
Like snowflakes, sea ice is made up of crystals. When examined under polarized light, their orientation and size create stunning kaleidoscopes of colors. These crystalline structures were printed on garments to tell the story of how sea ice grows and melts throughout the annual cycle.
While the ocean is freezing, its turbulent nature results in tiny ice crystals oriented in many directions.
Once fully frozen, the ice keeps growing downward, forming large crystals oriented vertically.
The team hopes that the garment design and fabric patterns inspired by this process will help people engage with climate change in a new way.
Made with ethical and sustainable practices, the sea ice line also combats “fast fashion” — the rapidly shifting and high-volume clothing industry.
The Sea Ice Collection emerged after a chance encounter in a French airport between Lauren and Daudigny. Lauren was creating a documentary film about climate change in the Arctic Ocean.
The sea ice images on her laptop caught the attention of Daudigny, a Barcelona-based fashion designer.
“Corentin happened to see me working on IARC’s sea ice cross sections and was open and curious enough to stop and ask me about it,” said Lauren. “A passing conversation turned into a unique retail expansion plan to overcome the challenges that inhibit businesses from scaling sustainably.”
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