GYLD
Biodesign & Fashion
Strategic Design, Design Research, Branding, Prototyping
Industry b
Expertise
Emma Kowalczyk Nij Balar
Team
Biomaterials hold real potential to transform fashion, but remain disconnected from market adoption. Without visibility and desirability, they fail to generate the demand and investment needed to scale, keeping them confined to the lab.
The Challenge: The fashion industry’s reliance on extractive, linear production systems continues to drive environmental harm, making the need for alternative materials urgent. Biomaterials present a sustainable path forward, yet adoption remains limited. Bridging the gap between scientific development and industry uptake is critical.
Methods: A dual-track research approach combined design research, including landscape analysis, market research, and in-depth qualitative interviews, with hands-on biomaterial experimentation. This seven-month process shaped the strategy for GYLD, identifying key barriers and opportunities in biomaterial adoption within the fashion industry.
The Outcome: GYLD is a creative agency dedicated to accelerating the adoption of regenerative materials in fashion through immersive, high-impact public activations. We partner with emerging biomaterial innovators to craft bespoke experiences that translate scientific potential into cultural relevance. Each activation is rooted in intentional storytelling, emotional resonance, and tactility. By centering craftsmanship and connection, we create spaces that unite biomaterial innovators, designers, brands, and consumers. We move beyond simply showcasing innovation, working instead to catalyze its integration into the cultural and commercial landscape.
View Deck Here
DESIGN RESEARCH
A DUAL TRACK RESEARCH APPROACH:
Hands-on Material Experimentation + Market Research
MATERIAL RESEARCH
Material-Driven Design (MDD) methodology: centers material properties as the starting point for innovation and application.
SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast): a regenerative, biodegradable material that challenges traditional approaches to fashion and design. We leveraged MDD application as a case study to expose key challenges and pain points in biomaterial innovation. Repeated SCOBY experiments often failed to produce viable results, revealing the instability and scalability challenges of living materials. These setbacks underscored the limitations of biomaterial innovation and the urgent need to spotlight these materials to attract the investment and attention they require.
MARKET RESEARCH
10 IN DEPTH INTERVIEWS, COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
To validate GYLD’s potential, we undertook a rigorous landscape and competitive analysis alongside in-depth, qualitative stakeholder interviews. Through frameworks including an alluvial diagram and spider chart, we examined adjacent exhibitions, audience engagement models, pricing strategies, and broader patterns within experience, fashion, and biomaterials spaces. This research helped us evaluate cultural relevance, identify strategic opportunities, and define a distinct value proposition for positioning GYLD within an emerging and rapidly evolving market.
INSIGHT SYNTHESIS
We developed a structured yet fluid framework for clustering our core observations, allowing us to surface patterns and relationships clearly. This process enabled us to distill complex information into key themes and strategic insights that formed the foundation of GYLD’s initial concept.
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
GYLD is a place to connect.
Immersive Pop-Up Events
We design exclusive, temporary spaces that spotlight biomaterial innovation and sustainable design. These events are more than just visits; they transport guests into a world where the future of fashion is alive and unfolding before them, offering unique experiences that blur the lines between art, design, and innovation.
Fostering Collaborations
At GYLD, we actively connect biomaterial innovators with fashion designers, enabling them to collaborate and create groundbreaking works that push the boundaries of design and sustainability. Our role goes beyond the event space; we nurture these relationships, providing platforms for collaboration and the fusion of creativity with sustainable practices.
Community Engagement
We build a vibrant community of like-minded individuals who are passionate about innovation, craftsmanship, and the future of fashion. Through curated events, artist talks, and design drops, we inspire action and foster meaningful connections in sustainable fashion.
CONCEPT TESTING
12 IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS ACROSS 6 SECTORS
A qualitative concept testing study was conducted through 20–30 minute structured interviews with stakeholders including biomaterial designers, fashion journalists, and investors. Using thematic analysis, responses were synthesized to identify recurring insights and success factors. The process aimed to holistically evaluate the exhibition concept, refine its direction, and guide future prototyping through diverse perspectives and system-wide feedback.
BUSINESS PROTOTYPING
5 EXPERT INTERVIEWS, 15 FEEDBACK SESSIONS
To test the creative agency MVP, a multi-channel strategy combined branding experiments, expert feedback, and public engagement. Brand appeal was gauged through posters, a dedicated photoshoot, and website tracking. Strategic viability was validated through 5 expert interviews, 15 feedback sessions, and visits to RISD’s Nature Lab and Brown University. The concept was also presented at a the RMEADE Circular Economy Tech Summit & Conference in Washington, D.C., enabling real-time critique and industry-aligned validation.
PUBLIC ACTIVATION
GYLD’s debut public activation prototype took the form of an experiential pop up in SoHo, centered on SCOBY-based materials developed during our early research phase. The installation guided visitors through an immersive, multi-sensory narrative that traces the material’s evolution, from fermentation to fully realized garments. Every element of the environment is crafted to elicit curiosity, communicate process, and heighten the sense of craft. The experience culminated in a retail presentation of available SCOBY-based pieces, reframing biomaterials not as distant innovations but as viable and covetable components of fashion’s contemporary landscape.
