The origins of couture can be traced back to mid-19th century Paris, where English designer Charles Frederick Worth established the first fashion house dedicated to custom-made clothing. Worth introduced the idea of designing seasonal collections, presented on live models, and offering garments tailored specifically to individual clients. This marked the birth of haute couture as we understand it today.
In 1868, the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture was founded in Paris to regulate the industry, protecting the exclusivity and craftsmanship that define couture. To this day, a fashion house must meet strict criteria to qualify as official haute couture, including creating made-to-measure garments, maintaining a workshop in Paris, and presenting two collections per year.
… to becoming a cultural stage for experimentation …
Couture has shifted from serving a small circle of elite clients to becoming a cultural stage for experimentation. Today, it functions less as a business model and more as a space where designers explore new materials, techniques, and narratives without the constraints of mass production. The shows are theatrical, often blending performance, art, and fashion, and they carry influence far beyond the few garments that are ever sold.
Modern couture is also beginning to engage with sustainability. Designers are questioning the value of time, labor, and resources, positioning couture as a counterpoint to fast fashion. By working with unusual materials or innovative processes, couture continues to challenge assumptions about what fashion can be. It remains a proving ground for ideas that may one day shape the wider industry.
It remains a proving ground for ideas that may one day shape the wider industry.
Patchwork Collection by Tess van Zalinge © Vivian Hoorn
Tess van Zalinge designs at the intersection of couture and ready to wear, creating luxury pieces defined by functional sensuality and a style that evokes emotional attachment. Her work relives and celebrates traditions of heritage and the local design culture. Each design combines handmade tailoring, unique craftsmanship, and architectural intimates references, offering a contemporary expression of femininity.
In 2016, after studying at Amfi in Amsterdam and gaining experience in the creative industry, Tess founded her eponymous label with the intention of contributing consciously each year. Guided by an urge to improve and move step by step toward integrity and awareness, she commits to reducing waste and cultivating a network of collaborators across time, yesterday and tomorrow.
With unexpected combinations and timeless construction, Tess aligns her ambitions with a dedication to circular longevity.
Her creations are about sharing. Sharing stories, memories, and craftsmanship to preserve what risks being forgotten. With unexpected combinations and timeless construction, Tess aligns her ambitions with a dedication to circular longevity. Drawing on a culture of storytelling, her handmade designs build emotional attachment with a contemporary audience, offering pieces to be cherished as part of a conscious and positive contribution.
We at Human Material Loop are extremely excited to collaborate with Tess van Zalinge on a special collection that highlights how our keratin protein fiber ādara® can become part of couture and her capsule collections. This partnership brings together Tess’s vision of craftsmanship and storytelling with our dedication to circular innovation, showing how forgotten resources can be transformed into lasting design. Together we aim to celebrate heritage, creativity, and conscious material choices while shaping a new future for fashion.
To push the boundaries of what sustainable textiles can achieve, we have formed a consortium of three partners. Human Material Loop brings ādara®, the first keratin-based fiber made from human hair. Sustanix contributes its expertise in biobased coatings to enhance durability and performance. Fashion designer Tess van Zalinge transforms these innovations into couture, using her creative vision to test the material against the highest standards of design. Together, we are demonstrating how collaboration across science, technology, and fashion can drive real system change.
Sustanix develops its own coating formulations from the ground up, enabling tailored performance while maintaining full recyclability
Sustanix is a Dutch deep-tech startup specializing in 100 % bio-based coatings and additives. Their core mission is to replace fossil-based, synthetic chemicals such as PFAS or microplastics with sustainable alternatives derived from agricultural residues including wheat straw, rice straw, sawdust, and sugarcane waste. Unlike many companies that simply modify existing biopolymers, Sustanix develops its own coating formulations from the ground up, enabling tailored performance while maintaining full recyclability. Their technology is designed to be compatible with conventional industrial equipment, allowing easier integration for manufacturers without massive capital investment. In doing so, Sustanix positions itself as a bridge between sustainable chemistry and real-world application, helping brands upgrade fabric and packaging durability without compromising environmental integrity.
This project has been made possible with the support of OPZuid and the Province of Limburg, in collaboration with Human Material Loop, Tess van Zalinge, and Sustanix.
