Sea tweed cap

The concept of my project is the experimental use of alternative materials to classic tweed. Tweed because it serves as the basic material for my initial shape, the newsboy cap. The nine-piece pattern is to be replaced by fiber molding using the pulp process, thus creating the possibility for new materials and surfaces. The green filamentous algae, which grows regionally and quickly, is particularly suitable for this, as it has an extraordinary fiber composite and also textile and easily compostable properties.

Material: filamentous algae (Zygnema)
For the project, I experimented with filamentous and screw algae, which I was able to obtain from the local waters and Halle Zoo. Although these algae are unicellular organisms, they naturally form an impressive fiber composite; different fiber lengths up to the pulverization of the dried algae and additives such as glycerine should enable long-term flexibility of the material, even after drying out. Ultimately, the goal was to obtain short fibers of the filamentous algae dissolved in water. The fibers bond even when wet and form a robust and textile surface after drying. This material is therefore safe to compost and can be easily returned to the cycle.