{"id":1961908,"date":"2026-05-29T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1961908"},"modified":"2026-05-29T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T21:00:00","slug":"this-wood-fiber-dress-was-made-from-a-17th-century-shipwreck","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1961908","title":{"rendered":"This Wood-Fiber Dress Was Made from a 17th-Century Shipwreck"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1201\" height=\"1800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/aalto-3.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"a model in a brown A-line dress against a blue background\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">All images courtesy of Aalto University, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">This Wood-Fiber Dress Was Made from a 17th-Century Shipwreck<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-05-29T09:39:49-05:00\">May 29, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-craft\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/craft\/\" rel=\"tag\">Craft<\/a><a class=\"category-design\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/design\/\" rel=\"tag\">Design<\/a><a class=\"category-history\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/history\/\" rel=\"tag\">History<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/gebert\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Grace Ebert<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing has-visible-labels has-icon-color is-style-logos-only is-layout-flex wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-is-layout-flex\">\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-facebook has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F05%2Faalto-university-shipwreck-wood-knit-dress%2F&amp;title=This%20Wood-Fiber%20Dress%20Was%20Made%20from%20a%2017th-Century%20Shipwreck\" aria-label=\"Share\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tShare\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-pinterest has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F05%2Faalto-university-shipwreck-wood-knit-dress%2F&amp;description=This%20Wood-Fiber%20Dress%20Was%20Made%20from%20a%2017th-Century%20Shipwreck&amp;media=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F05%2Faalto-3-960x1439.jpg\" aria-label=\"Pin\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-vrX9uXCs\" data-rl_title data-rl_caption title><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tPin\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-mail has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#cff0bcbaada5aaacbbf29ba7a6bceafdff98a0a0abe289a6adaabdeafdff8bbdaabcbceafdff98aebceafdff82aeabaaeafdffa9bda0a2eafdffaeeafdfffef8bba7e28caaa1bbbabdb6eafdff9ca7a6bfb8bdaaaca4e9aea2bff4ada0abb6f29ba7a6bceafdff98a0a0abe289a6adaabdeafdff8bbdaabcbceafdff98aebceafdff82aeabaaeafdffa9bda0a2eafdffaeeafdfffef8bba7e28caaa1bbbabdb6eafdff9ca7a6bfb8bdaaaca4eafdffea8afdeaf7ffeaf6fbeafdffa7bbbbbfbceafc8eeafd89eafd89b8b8b8e1bba7a6bca6bcaca0a3a0bcbcaea3e1aca0a2eafd89fdfffdf9eafd89fffaeafd89aeaea3bba0e2baa1a6b9aabdbca6bbb6e2bca7a6bfb8bdaaaca4e2b8a0a0abe2a4a1a6bbe2abbdaabcbceafd89\" aria-label=\"Email\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tEmail\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"474486\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Some of the most exciting designs emerging from the world of sustainable fashion are those utilizing uncommon materials. There are gowns sculpted with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2022\/10\/zena-holloway-rootfull\/\">grass roots<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2021\/02\/algae-dress-phillip-lim\/\">sequins<\/a> made from algae, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2020\/07\/alexandra-sipa-wire-garments\/\">electrical wires<\/a> woven into lace. Now, researchers and designers at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aalto.fi\/en\/news\/the-journey-of-a-17th-century-shipwreck-continues-as-a-unique-knitted-dress\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Aalto University<\/a> can add another unusual substance to that list: the remains of a 300-year-old wooden shipwreck.<\/p>\n<p>In 2019, a hotel in the Finnish city of Oulu undertook renovations that uncovered a 17th-century vessel buried beneath a parking lot. Called the Hahtiper\u00e4 wreck, the finding was the oldest of its kind in this region, prompting conservators to raise the seven-by-20-meter ship for preservation. A few fragments remained, though, and researchers from Aalto\u2019s Bioinnovation Center seized the opportunity to save these bits from the trash.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/aalto-7.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-474486\" title=\"According to UNESCO, wrecks can be raised and conserved for justified reasons. The Hahtiper\u00e4 wreck was conserved because it is the oldest shipwreck discovered in Northern Finland. Photo by Minna Koivikko\/Finnish Heritage Agency\" data-rl_title=\"According to UNESCO, wrecks can be raised and conserved for justified reasons. The Hahtiper\u00e4 wreck was conserved because it is the oldest shipwreck discovered in Northern Finland. Photo by Minna Koivikko\/Finnish Heritage Agency\" data-rl_caption=\"According to UNESCO, wrecks can be raised and conserved for justified reasons. The Hahtiper\u00e4 wreck was conserved because it is the oldest shipwreck discovered in Northern Finland. Photo by Minna Koivikko\/Finnish Heritage Agency\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/aalto-7.jpg\" alt=\"large machinery uncovering a buried ship\" class=\"wp-image-474493\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">According to UNESCO, wrecks can be raised and conserved for justified reasons. The Hahtiper\u00e4 wreck was conserved because it is the oldest shipwreck discovered in Northern Finland. Photo by Minna Koivikko\/Finnish Heritage Agency<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After removing the outer layers, designers shredded and dissolved the wood into pulp. They then utilized their trademarked Ioncell process\u2014developed in collaboration with Helsinki University\u2014which recycles materials like paper, straw, and other textile waste into silky fibers. <\/p>\n<p>Lecturer Anna-Mari Leppisaari was responsible for machine-knitting the undyed yarn into a pair of seamless dresses, one of which is on display at <a href=\"https:\/\/ouluntaidemuseo.fi\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Oulu Art Museum<\/a> for an exhibition about the future of fashion. A sleek A-line shape, the garment\u2019s marbled pattern mimics that of wood grain. It weights less than a pound.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course, a shipwreck is an exceptional case, but it\u2019s also a story that makes people pause and appreciate materials in a new way,\u201d lead designer Pirjo K\u00e4\u00e4ri\u00e4inen says. \u201cIf something this beautiful can be made from centuries-old wood, why do we keep throwing away materials that could still be circulated and reused?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The second dress will be on view in September for the university\u2019s <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aalto.fi\/en\/designs-for-a-cooler-planet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Designs for a Cooler Planet<\/a><\/em> exhibition. (via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehistoryblog.com\/archives\/76158\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The History Blog<\/a>)<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/dress-1.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-474486\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2193\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/dress-1.jpg\" alt=\"a detail of a knitted gown\" class=\"wp-image-474496\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/aalto-1.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-474486\" title=\"Shipwreck materials. Photo by Esa Kapila\" data-rl_title=\"Shipwreck materials. Photo by Esa Kapila\" data-rl_caption=\"Shipwreck materials. Photo by Esa Kapila\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1201\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/aalto-1.jpg\" alt=\"a collection of wood and fibers\" class=\"wp-image-474487\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Shipwreck materials. Photo by Esa Kapila<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/aalto-2.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-474486\" title=\"Anna Mari Leppisaari knitting the dress. Photo by Anna Berg\" data-rl_title=\"Anna Mari Leppisaari knitting the dress. Photo by Anna Berg\" data-rl_caption=\"Anna Mari Leppisaari knitting the dress. Photo by Anna Berg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/aalto-2.jpg\" alt=\"a woman standing near a knitting machine\" class=\"wp-image-474488\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Anna Mari Leppisaari knitting the dress. Photo by Anna Berg<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/aalto-4.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-474486\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1201\" height=\"1800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/aalto-4.jpg\" alt=\"a detail image of a model in a brown A-line dress against a blue background\" class=\"wp-image-474490\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/dress.jpeg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-474486\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1380\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/dress.jpeg\" alt=\"a detail of a knitted gown\" class=\"wp-image-474494\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/aalto-5.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-474486\" title=\"Inge Schlapp making the fiber. Photo by Anna Berg\" data-rl_title=\"Inge Schlapp making the fiber. Photo by Anna Berg\" data-rl_caption=\"Inge Schlapp making the fiber. Photo by Anna Berg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/aalto-5.jpg\" alt=\"a woman in a lab coat with machines\" class=\"wp-image-474491\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Inge Schlapp making the fiber. Photo by Anna Berg<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/aalto-6.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-474486\" title=\"The preserved section was about seven meters wide and around twenty meters long. The part visible in the picture will be conserved and put on display in an exhibition at the Oulu Museum in the new museum and science center, Tiima. Phot by Minna Koivikko\" data-rl_title=\"The preserved section was about seven meters wide and around twenty meters long. The part visible in the picture will be conserved and put on display in an exhibition at the Oulu Museum in the new museum and science center, Tiima. Phot by Minna Koivikko\" data-rl_caption=\"The preserved section was about seven meters wide and around twenty meters long. The part visible in the picture will be conserved and put on display in an exhibition at the Oulu Museum in the new museum and science center, Tiima. Phot by Minna Koivikko\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/aalto-6.jpg\" alt=\"large machinery carrying a ship\" class=\"wp-image-474492\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The preserved section was about seven meters wide and around twenty meters long. The part visible in the picture will be conserved and put on display in an exhibition at the Oulu Museum in the new museum and science center, Tiima. 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There are gowns sculpted with grass roots, sequins made [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,270],"class_list":["post-1961908","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-thisiscolossal-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1961908","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1961908"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1961908\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1961908"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1961908"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1961908"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}