Clothing brand Outerknown created a limited-edition shirt made in part of seaweed.

The unisex shirt has the same design as Outerknown signature Blanket Shirt, which is usually made of only cotton. The limited-edition version, however, is made with a blend of 70 per cent Regenerative Organic Certified Cotton and 30 per cent Kelsun, which is made with seaweed.

Kelsun fibre was develop by the company Keel Labs. It is made of biopolymers extracted from seaweed. Seaweed is an abundantly available, rapidly renewable natural resource that absorbs carbon dioxide in the ocean. In addition, it does not require the use of arable land, pesticides or fertilisers to grow.

To make the fibre, the collected seaweed goes through an extraction process that separates the biopolymer, which is then combined with additives and water to form a solution, called dope. Next, filaments are extruded in a wet spinning process. Finally, it can be combined with other fibres like cotton or hemp to create yarn.

Outerknown is the world’s first brand to debut and sell clothing crafted with Kelsun alginate fibre.

Photos: Outerknown