–Eliza Corderman
For her Spring/Summer 2027 presentation at AP Space during New York Fashion Week, Caroline Zimbalist showcased her latest collection, which takes the form of both clothing and sculpture, tied together through her use of biomaterials she develops herself. Along the perimeter of the room stood models wearing pieces from the collection, moving fluidly and turning to reveal sculptural biomaterial details embedded into the garments. Accompanying the clothing were Zimbalist’s hand-formed biomaterial vessels, displayed on pedestals throughout the space or held by the models in the same way one might hold a clutch.
Zimbalist has spent the past several years exploring biodegradable biomaterials, developing her own proprietary, patent-pending formula that she uses across clothing, jewelry, vessels, and other sculptural forms. For this collection, she bonded biomaterials onto traditional, natural-fiber textiles, incorporating them into the garments in ways that ranged from smaller embellishments to larger sculptural forms.
The idea of transformation in nature served as a recurring theme throughout the collection, with references to shedding an old skin and leaving behind a shell. Zimbalist cites insects as an inspiration for the collection, incorporating pointillist patterns drawn from markings found on butterfly wings and referencing their trails, colorations, wings, and exoskeletons.
Fluid draping and asymmetric construction were paired with sculptural biomaterial details that seemed to grow out of, or into, the clothing. Several looks were made almost entirely from biomaterial, forming sculptural exoskeletons that resembled shells or skins in the process of morphing.
The result was a striking and inventive body of work that demonstrated the expressive possibilities of biomaterials while offering a compelling vision for the future of fashion.
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