algae illuminates iris van herpen’s haute couture show in paris

iris van herpen’s dress with algae lights up in paris

Reactive bioluminescent algae lights up the haute couture collection and show of Iris van Herpen in Paris. Co-crafted by biodesigner Christopher Bellamy of Bio Crafted, there are 125 million bioluminescent algae embedded into the dress, showcased by the maison during the Paris Haute Couture Week on July 7th, 2025. In an interview with designboom, the biodesigner tells us that the material is an evolution of his previous project, Lucid Life | Marama Ora. ‘It’s a process I initially developed to encapsulate bioluminescent microalgae in collaboration with indigenous artists and scientists in French Polynesia,’ he shares with us. ‘A bespoke 35-step process was developed, which encapsulates the algae in a nutrient gel and a protective coating and allows them to live for many months. This was possible thanks to an artist residency at the University of Amsterdam in the Soft Matters Group.’

Once encapsulated, the algae only require regular sunlight to photosynthesize and maintain their circadian rhythm. The biomaterial can live for many months, even during hot weather conditions, and Chris Bellamy says that he also has samples that have been alive for more than a year. ‘However, as this new material is so experimental, we are still working to understand what exactly is going on,’ he explains to us. ‘To help keep the algae in perfect condition for the show, a bespoke full-size climate chamber was developed for the garment so that it can be exhibited in different locations and maintain its circadian rhythm.’ For the biodesigner and maison, developing the algae dress is a collaborative effort, as they need to keep the microorganisms alive through two heatwaves and while transporting them to Paris for the Iris van Herpen show for the haute couture.

all images courtesy of Chris Bellamy of Bio Crafted, unless stated otherwise

Living microorganisms encapsulated in nutrient gel

The collaboration between Iris van Herpen and Chris Bellamy of Bio Crafted allows the two to tap into the capabilities of living microorganisms such as algae. The biomaterial is reactive too; as the wearer moves, the dress glows gently, emitting a bluish glow that lights up in the dark. The maison and biodesigner say that the bioluminescent algae are placed in seawater and then encapsulated inside a nutrient gel that keeps them alive for a long time. The dress with bioluminescent algae forms part of the collection Sympoiesis, the recent series from Iris van Herpen shown in Paris Haute Couture Week. As the model walks, wearing Iris van Herpen’s algae dress co-created with Christopher Bellamy, the set design also glows in the background through the light sculptures by artist Nick Verstand. These artworks, called biospheric, add more light to the show, making the bioluminescent algae embedded into the Iris van Herpen dress glow even brighter.

‘The vision to have a fully living garment that illuminated while on the runway in Paris was incredibly ambitious. On top of that, the design had to match the level of intricacy and detail expected with Iris’ work. To achieve this, we had to develop an entirely new process to encapsulate and form the algae,’ Chris Bellamy shares with designboom. It took them and the design team around four months of biotechnological process to develop the dress and match its detail and aesthetics to the rest of the Sympoiesis collection, but the biodesigner tells us that he only had a breakthrough finishing the illuminating material just 24 hours before the deadline. The project was only possible to develop in person, and thanks to an artist residency at the University of Amsterdam in the Biophysics and Soft Matters research group, completing the Iris van Herpen algae dress was realized in time for the show.

reactive bioluminescent algae lights up the haute couture dress of Iris van Herpen in Paris

refrigerated trucks to keep the algae dress alive

Because of the time restrictions, Chris Bellamy and Iris van Herpen had to rely on their intuition and gut feeling in developing the algae dress, instead of approaching it in a scientific manner. Luckily, the biodesigner had been knee-deep into the research for two years then, so he was already backed up by personal experiences with the living microorganisms. ‘The final process was incredibly complex, with 35 steps, and required very specific materials, formulations, and techniques. The final challenge was keeping the dress alive while traveling between countries for the show and in the chaos of a show environment,’ he explains to designboom.

To make this happen, the Iris van Herpen team was involved in a logistical trope, renting refrigerated trucks and putting wireless humidity alarms in place that worked under red light to keep the algae dress alive and ready to glow in the dark during the show. ‘Iris was the perfect collaborator, pushing and challenging the design but also learning and adapting as we understood more about the living organism and their behaviors,’ says Chris Bellamy. Back in 2024, the biodesigner worked on and researched the bioluminescent microalgae for just about over nine months. The same algae now flows through the Sympoiesis dress of Iris van Herpen during the Paris Haute Couture Week, which runs between July 7th and 10th, 2025, following the signature coral-inspired designs of the fashion designer.

for the dress, a 35-step process was developed, which encapsulates the algae in a nutrient gel