& Other Stories debuts beachwear made from seaweed-derived fibre

H&M Group’s & Other Stories has unveiled a beachwear collection made, most appropriately, from fibre derived from seaweed.

The material is Keel Labs’ Kelsun, which is a unique fibre that’s free of plastics and it’s able to blend with other natural materials, “enhancing both softness and durability”.

& Other Stories designer Frida Billegren turned to the ocean for inspiration and found it in “the organic shapes and fluid beauty of sea life, in the flower-like movement of anemones”.

That means two crochet pieces (a top and a skirt) in a neutral creamy tone that use the natural colour of the fibre. This means the company was also able to avoid any dyeing. In this case the seaweed fibre is blended with organic cotton “for both softness and strength”.

“We continuously seek new technologies and materials to evolve our designs. For us, fashion and innovation are intertwined,” said Cecilia McNeil, head of sustainability at & Other Stories.