A dress showcased at Paris Haute Couture Week captivated audiences not only with its design but with its living form. This special piece, developed by Iris van Herpen in collaboration with biodesigner Chris Bellamy, made fashion history as the first haute couture design that responds to touch and is nourished by living organisms.

The dress contains 125 million bioluminescent algae known as Pyrocystis lunula. These algae were cultivated over several months in a seawater-based, nutrient-rich gel. Enclosed in a transparent, gelatinous membrane, this structure enables the algae to emit light. Each movement transforms into waves of light spreading across the fabric.

The project’s technical infrastructure was shaped through research conducted with the Soft Matters group at the University of Amsterdam. To preserve the vitality of the algae, special climate-controlled chambers and humidity and temperature regulation systems were developed. The dress was transported to Paris under low red light and protected by a refrigerated transport system before reaching the runway.

During the show, the dress functioned as a living structure interacting with movement, in sync with light installations by artist Nick Verstand. Lights triggered by a gentle touch of the fingers became a narrative that dissolved the boundaries between fashion and nature.

This creative collaboration by Van Herpen with nature itself demonstrates that design can go beyond aesthetics and function. This piece stands out as a symbol of a new call for biological sensitivity in the world of fashion.

You can access the designer's work here.