McCurdy’s sequins come from microalgae, which she collects from the ocean. With warm water, naturally-occurring fats, and time, the structure of the biopolymer can be rearranged to grow to the shape of a model. Trace amounts of pigment give the sequins a green color, while glass molds lend them a shiny appearance. “I joke that it’s as dangerous as making tea,” McCurdy says. Sequins presented a particular challenge for her and Lim: They abound in the fashion industry, but are almost always made of plastic. To make an alternative that is strong enough to wear, yet will eventually biodegrade, is nothing short of a breakthrough. Algae in particular is a useful material because not only is it made without petroleum, but it doesn’t require resources humans would otherwise use for food or other necessities.
As a nod to their origin, the paillettes’ shape is inspired by seabird feathers. The dress is finished with SeaCell, a more eco-friendly version of viscose fabric, and the result is a luxurious, luminous green dress you could easily imagine on a Best Dressed list. “It was so important that we had something a woman would want to put on,” Lim says. “If you were to touch this up close you would not even know what it was made of. That, to me, was the most successful part of this—to normalize it. This could happen in everyday life if big industries put enough [research and development] into it.”