Biodegradable Costumes

︎ Creator: Claire Wu      
︎ Supervisor: Peter Yeadon


This project focused on creating a biodegradable, leather-like fabric made of starch, gelatin, glycerol, and water. The fabric is designed as a short-term wearable textile suitable for one-time-use costumes, such as Halloween outfits, performance costumes, themed-event costumes, or children’s costume play. These garments are typically bought, worn briefly, and discarded, contributing significantly to landfill waste. The bio-based fabric provides an environmentally responsible alternative that maintains costume functionality while reducing long-lasting synthetic pollution.

This artifact is a disposable costume designed using the biodegradable, leather-like fabric. The costume is created specifically for a single short-term experience, and its visual language expresses structural strength. The costume is designed to show the quality of the materials, with structural parts and flexible parts. The costume is designed around a character whose costume is a core part of her identity:

Material Behavior

The fabric starts stiff, structured, leather-like
The fabric has a short but functional lifespan
Fabric cut out specifically for the design
It is suitable for disposable, short-term, and environmentally friendly designs
It can play with light effects, textures, and dyeing


Relevance to Costume Design

Comfortable and familiar tactile quality
Holds dramatic shapes, volume, and silhouettes
Supports creative lighting effects and patterns
Encourages disposal after use without long-term waste
Safe degradation after event use