With consumer attitudes beginning to change, people are becoming much more aware of the environmental impact of their choices, and the need to reduce, reuse and recycle gowns are made from Finnish birch trees. The dress was designed using innovative loncell technology.

Ioncell uses a range of materials, including wood, recycled newspaper, cardboard and old cotton, to make fabrics with less of an environmental impact than the processes used to make cotton and viscose. It can also be recycled. A fabric made from Ioncell is soft to touch. It has a lovely sheen and falls well. Most importantly, it’s an environmentally sustainable option.

Making durable, recyclable clothes from wood means carbon emissions can be reduced since the carbon is stored in the lifespan of the fiber. Finland’s forests are also sustainably grown – each year, the growth actually exceeds harvest – and they require no watering. Ioncell produces cellulose-based textile fibers, like viscose, but unlike viscose production, the process uses a safe, non-toxic ionic liquid instead of harsh chemicals, which can end up polluting local water sources.

The fibers are biodegradable and don’t release harmful microplastics into the environment as they break down, or when they’re washed. The technology is still at the research stage, but the aim is for an Ioncell pilot production line by 2020.