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Turning of the Tide: How Designers are Giving Back to their Oceanic Muse

  • Sophie Lambert
  • Mar 26
  • 3 min read

Whilst we have seen countless designers take inspiration from oceanic themes throughout various runways, the question remains whether these designers are taking accountability for the detrimental impact the fashion industry has on our oceans. Clothing and textiles are the primary source of microplastics in our ocean, and though the fashion industry is at great fault, several designers are coming up with innovative and proactive approaches in atoning for the wrongdoings of others in the industry. Marine Serre, Botter, and Iris van Herpen are three designers pioneering in sustainability with the sea in mind. Examining their initiatives provides hope for the often-pessimistic outlook we hold concerning the future of the ocean.


French designer Marine Serre has crafted dystopian designs in her FutureWear, suggesting that in a future clouded by fascism, climate crises, and terrorism, clothes can serve as a form of armour. Her designs take a “regenerative” approach, using unconventional materials such as driftwood, imitation pearls, and pieces of aluminium drink cans found on the shoreline. Serre reminisces on her time working at Maison Margiela, stating she took inspiration from their deconstructionist approach, learning how to deconstruct jackets, pants and shirts first-hand.


Marine Serre PFW via dazeddigital.com
Marine Serre PFW via dazeddigital.com

In an interview with New Reader, Serre questioned 'How can you make a brand today and not think about [climate change]? It would be ultra-strange for myself, and for me/us to not react to it'. However, she also noted the difficulties in making upcycled garments, stating it does not completely mean you are exempt from contributing to climate change. 'Just because you make upcycled garments does not mean that everything you do is perfectly sustainable. You also have to consider the way you transport your materials and garments. There’s also the way that you stitch, and where you produce', she remarked.


Heads of Botter, Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh launched a manifesto alongside their Autumn/Winter 2021 show with a manifesto stating 'without the sea, no human, no us'. Setting up an underwater coral nursery in Curaçao, the pair foreground their activism throughout their 2021 collection 'Romanticising the Coral Reef'. With necklines inspired by diving gear, fish tackle embellishments and a windbreaker made of ocean plastic, the collection both honours the ocean whilst making a statement, donating a percentage of their sales to coral preservation initiatives.


Botter SS23 via Vogue.com
Botter SS23 via Vogue.com

Their core values are also represented in their Spring/ Summer 2023 collection, full of oceanic homages. Experimenting with a new material made from kelp for their tube dresses, the pair continued to use their classic cerulean tones, inspired by the Caribbean, across their looks. Condoms filled with dyed water, intended to represent fishbowls, sparked conversation surrounding their message, leading Botter to state, 'We really want to bring water to the runway' and 'Our thinking was how can we collaborate with nature and not with another fashion brand?'. Seaweed was another material they experimented with due to its benefits, such as reducing environmental damage and slowing down ageing. They continued to take inspiration from scuba diving, using heart-shaped lapels on suits and tube top cardigans to mimic the appearance of divers coming up for air, peeling their wetsuits off from their shoulders. Their aquatic motifs extended to their accessories, such as an ice-cubed bag, pearl necklaces and knitted face masks.


Telling Vogue, 'There’s not a lot of reason not to use sustainable materials anymore, other than changing your mindset', Iris Van Herpen honoured the sea in her Spring/Summer 2021 couture show, collaborating with an anti-pollution campaign, Parley for the Oceans, to construct the 'Holobiont' dress made from recycled plastic from the ocean. Parley for the Oceans collects plastic from shorelines and upcycles it into yarn. Herpen states, 'the quality of their fabrics is really refined, and therefore perfectly suitable for haute couture'. The dress is printed with thousands of fine trilateral tessellations, creating a synergism with the skin. Herpen also included a dress comprising 'fine-edge liquescent gills' in her collection, using her method of 3D printing to create another avant-garde piece which finds connections between science, nature, art, and fashion.


Iris van Herpen SS21 via parley.tv
Iris van Herpen SS21 via parley.tv

Whilst it is easy to hold a pessimistic outlook with regard to the impact of fashion on the ocean, the efforts of these designers to give back to marine life, one of their greatest muses, provide a sense of hope for the future. Whilst sustainability is becoming increasingly popular in our wardrobes with the rise in popularity of shopping second-hand, it is refreshing to see sustainability meet couture on an elevated platform, such as the runway.






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