In Patagonia, Nous Etudions Explores Biomaterials in Their Designs
An oversized parka in Celium’s natural ivory state. The biomaterial’s foamed textile surface forms a sculptural silhouette, its volume referencing the soft, enveloping forms of Patagonian seaweed. The piece is secured through hand-tied knots and cords made from the same material, paired with matching Celium gloves. Photographed by Agustín M. Gómez
In Ushuaia, Patagonia, a gateway to Antarctica, Romina Cardillo of Nous Etudions explores biomaterial design.
At the southern edge of Patagonia, in the port city of Ushuaia, designer Romina Cardillo of Nous Etudions explores the relationship between fashion, material innovation, and the natural world. Developed with Mexican biotechnology company Polybion, the End of the World, Beginning of Everything collection is centered on Celium, a biomaterial cultivated from bacterial cellulose through fermentation.
Cardillo explains that this collaboration began as a shared interest “in exploring biomaterials through the intersection of science and design.” Over six months, the teams experimented with different material densities, testing how the biomaterial could behave in garments and objects while balancing technical research with creative exploration.
As it is set in the remote landscapes of Patagonia, this project unfolds as a dialogue between various living matters. “The intention was to create a moment of contemplation, where material, territory, and the human presence coexist and invite us to rethink the relationship between design, nature, and innovation,” she reveals.
For Cardillo, biomaterials also point to a broader shift in fashion. Rather than excess, they suggest a new definition of luxury rooted in process and responsibility, encouraging what she calls “a more conscious relationship with ecosystems.”
By NEIL DE GUZMAN. Photographs by AGUSTÍN GÓMEZ. Creative Direction: Romina Cardillo & Paulo F. Cueto. Produced & Organized by: Guillermo Azar. Production: Marina Levi, Michelle Re, Cristian Navarro, Damián Ancherama. Art Direction: Damián Ancherama. Styling & Casting: Martín Boerr. Makeup: Lau Panighetti Hair: Niche, Aby Fumo, Galo Sapaia. AI Imagery: Paulo F. Cueto & neu.images. Production & Welcome in Ushuaia: Tourism Board of Tierra del Fuego & INFUETUR. Travel Partner: Flybondi. Location: Río Lapataia, Tierra del Fuego National Park — Ushuaia, Argentina. Supported by: BA Creativa. Press: Grupo Mass. Special thanks: Viviana Inés and Martín Bianchi
Frequently Asked Questions
Celium is a biomaterial developed by Mexican biotechnology company Polybion, cultivated from bacterial cellulose through a fermentation process, and used by designer Romina Cardillo in her “End of the World, Beginning of Everything” collection.
Romina Cardillo is the designer behind Nous Etudions, a studio recognized by the LVMH Prize, who explores the intersection of fashion, material innovation, and the natural world through biomaterial-based design projects.
The project was shot in Ushuaia, a port city at the southern edge of Patagonia near Tierra del Fuego National Park, to create a dialogue between the biomaterial, the remote territory, and human presence.
Cardillo and the Polybion team spent six months experimenting with different material densities, testing how the fermented bacterial-cellulose biomaterial could behave in garments and objects.
Cardillo frames biomaterials as pointing toward a new definition of luxury rooted in process and responsibility rather than excess, encouraging designers to build what she calls a more conscious relationship with ecosystems.
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