Sissell Gustavsen was isolating in Pembrokeshire, Wales for 8 weeks. Having nowhere to go because of the pandemic, the coast was the starting point for a new way of exploring how prints can be developed through nature and environment. The location allowed her to explore the concept of time evolving in the ways materials age through their surroundings. Printed fabric samples was tied to a rusty chain in the sea for several days in order to observe the degrading process.

Finding manmade waste everyday around the coast was a great motivation for using more natural materials such as seaweed and consequently making materials herself. Leaving the house for the daily walk around the area, she discovered a leek farm where piles of leek were wasted. This was collected and later made into a sustainable and strong fabric. Together with the leek, natural dyes from food-waste, organic cotton, reclaimed silk and stains from rust and mud have all contributed to the making of a biodegradable final collection.

Throughout Sissell Gustavsen’s collection, she used a lot of abundant seaweed to create biodegradable and natural embellishments, together with Jesmonite that is an environmental friendly type of eco-resin. Jesmonite became an important part of a way of printing on fabrics. Mud and rusting has been used in a process, where fabrics have obtained a print-like background without using chemical print paste.