Profile: Finn Gauglitz – Only Natural Design Competitions

Finn Gauglitz

Amsterdam Fashion Institute

I am a fashion development student at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI), specializing in textile design and development with a strong focus on material innovation. My work centers on research and development of new, sustainable textiles—particularly biobased materials—as a way to challenge conventional practices in the fashion industry. From the beginning of my studies, I have been fascinated by biomaterials and their potential to transform the way we think about fashion. Unlike traditional textiles, biomaterials offer unique design possibilities: their texture, tactility, and responsiveness allow for truly original forms and surfaces. I see them not only as eco-friendly alternatives, but as creative tools that can inspire entirely new aesthetic and functional languages in design. My passion lies in exploring how biomaterials can be developed, manipulated, and integrated into wearable designs in a meaningful way. Through experimental research, I create textiles that fuse natural ingredients with traditional techniques like felting, layering, or molding. This hands-on, process-driven approach allows me to investigate both the limitations and the vast potential of these materials. In the future, I aim to build a career centered around the development and promotion of biomaterials within the fashion and textile industries. I hope to contribute to a more sustainable future by designing biobased textiles and showcasing the broad range of applications they can offer—from functional fashion to conceptual design work. My ultimate goal is to encourage a new mindset—one where fashion works in collaboration with nature, not against it.

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BioFelt

Category: Apparel

Competitions: Fashion Competition 2025

Biofelt is part of my textile collection Symbiosis - A low tech textile collection in collaboration with nature. In a world driven by speed, hyper-efficiency, and relentless consumption, Symbiosis proposes a shift to a slower, more intentional approach to textile creation. This project explores how we might work with what nature already offers us to create unique one of a kind designs by combining wool with biomaterials. The design presented is made from a material I developed myself called „BioFelt“. A hand-felted wool base is coated with a biomaterial based on natural bio-polymers. The result is a hybrid textile that combines the structure of felt with the aesthetic qualities of a natural biocoating. The coat is inspired by the harsh environment of the Atacama Desert. The textile surface reflects the textures and tones of the rocky terrain—dry, cracked, and mineral-like. The design itself functions as a shell that protects the wearer in extreme conditions, drawing inspiration from both the traditional dress of Central Asian nomads and from protective features found in nature. Characteristic of the design are 3D felted bubble forms, padded with wool to provide warmth and comfort. The bubbles are created by 3D-felting with resists, and thanks to the coating, they will keep their shape even without filling. Some of the bubbles are hollow and serve as pockets for added functionality. Other biomaterial details, such as molded reinforcements at the sleeves, highlight the material’s adaptability. The goal behind the design was to showcase the unique design opportunities „BioFelt“ offers, which make this natural material superior to non-natural materials, not only in sustainability but also in creative application possibilities. The result is a functional wearable piece of art that showcases the potential of design in collaboration with nature.