3D printed plankton dress arrives at The Box from Buckingham Palace
7 October 2024
A 3D printed dress inspired by marine plankton and created in collaboration between Arts University Plymouth and Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), has gone on display at The Box, after impressing attendees at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition in London and even making an appearance outside of Buckingham Palace.
Created by BA (Hons) Costume Production students from Arts University Plymouth, in collaboration with PML, the one-of-a-kind dress can now be seen in the Active Archives gallery on the first floor of The Box. It connects with the Planet Ocean exhibition which highlights the groundbreaking marine and climate research taking place in Britain’s ‘Ocean City’.
The brief from PML focused on realism and the costume was made to measure, with the intention of creating something wearable that had a real impact. The level of detail the students were able to achieve is incredible. The finished costume has already captured the attention of politicians and scientists around the world and we’re proud that our work has been able to start so many conversations about the role of plankton in the climate crisis.
Marie Dunaway, Course Leader for BA (Hons) Costume Production, Arts University Plymouth
The design for the dress was inspired by Coccolithophores, a microscopic, single-celled type of marine plankton which play a vital role in the carbon cycle. BA (Hons) Costume Production students Ewan Fairley, Lucy Taylor, Anya Whichello, Dulcie Whichello and Millie Griffiths created it under the guidance of BA (Hons) Costume Production Course Leader Marie Dunaway, based on costume designs by Jacqueline Ball.
At PML, we’re increasingly looking at new and exciting ways to communicate and inspire. The dress is a fantastic example of art and science collaboration and has helped us draw attention to the effects of ocean warming and ocean acidification on vital marine life. We’re very grateful to the students and staff at Arts University Plymouth for creating something so visually stunning.
Dan Jones, Head of Marketing & Communications, PML
In a technically challenging feat, the students and staff used plant-based polymers to 3D print 100 individual shapes in Arts University Plymouth’s recently expanded Fab Lab. The costume team then spent six days assembling the pieces by hand in time to display the dress at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition.
Affectionately dubbed ‘The Plankton Lady’ by repeat visitors in London, the dress was commissioned by PML as part of the new multi-institute Atlantic Climate & Environment Strategic Science (AtlantiS) programme, which aims to understand and address the impact of human activities on the Earth’s largest climate regulator, the ocean, over the next decade.
The dress opened the door for conversations at every level; from children admiring the beautiful pattern, wanting to wear the hat, and hearing the word plankton for the first time, to Lords and Ladies, politicians, and esteemed Royal Society Fellows striking up conversations about the role of plankton in the climate crisis.
Elin Meek, Research and Impact Services Officer, PML
The dress will remain on display at The Box until the end of Sunday 27 April 2025.
We are thrilled to display the 3D printed dress as part of our Planet Ocean exhibition this Autumn. It’s a unique example of art meets science that will inspire curiosity about plankton and its connection to ocean research in Plymouth.
Sarah Marden, Natural History Curator, The Box