In the past decades, artists have been returning to nature, creating new ways to relate to it by respecting its value through the use of new sustainable materials and by adoperating their popularity as a means to raise awareness on environmental topics.
Here are some contemporary artists who chose nature as their number one muse.
Laura Zhang
Laura grew up on Lamma Island in a mixed Chinese and English household.
She has been working in the Hong Kong Art Scene for seven years, most recently innovating gallery models to support emerging artists in collaboration with the electronic music scene. Studying Fine Art at the University of Leeds, Zhang worked on fractal drawings and meditative mark making. She has now developed her process into a vibrant style of layered oil painting with symphonies of color, texture, gradient and repetition.
Joe Patitucci
Joe Patitucci is an artist fostering connection to intuitive states and the natural world through sound, breath and technology. As CEO of Data Garden, he is working to build a future where humans will have a real-time soundtrack to their lives generated from wearable data that is responsive to mood, tailored to taste and optimized for any activity.
Data Garden’s latest product, PlantWave, translates real-time data from living plants into music, creating harmonious sound environments powered by nature. The device detects slight electrical variations in a plant via two electrodes placed on the leaves, these variations are graphed as a wave, which is translated into a melody. The result is a continuous stream of pleasing music that gives a sonic window into the secret life of plants.
Clémentine Brandibas
Clémentine Brandibas, born in Toulouse, obtained her textile embroidery diploma at the Duperré school in 2011. In 2018, her work as an embroidery artist was awarded with the Prix Jeune Création des Métiers d’Art and by the regional prize of the Ateliers d'Art de France. Brandibas works instinctively, following her inspiration and intuition. She uses embroidery as a creative medium, associated with her sensitivity as a visual artist. Her inspiration comes from Nature, she’s particularly fascinated by the microcosm and macrocosm that are present in every element. Her carefully collected raw materials, once transformed and sublimated, become a palette of textures that allows her to create a hypnotic and meditative experience.
Tomás Saraceno
Born in Argentina, contemporary artist Tomas Saraceno established his studio in Berlin in 2012, settling in the former administrative building of Actien-Gesellschaft für Anilin-Fabrication, gradually reactivating and renovating the previously unoccupied building and the neighboring multi-story factory.
Saraceno’s work features floating sculptures and interactive installations that aim to suggest different forms of inhabiting and sensing the environment. For more than two decades, Saraceno has been working on “an ethical collaboration with the atmosphere”, including the sculpture series Cloud Cities and Museo Aero Solar, a community-organized initiative that transforms waste plastic bags into flying, aerosolar sculptures. Saraceno is also known for his interest in spiders and their webs, which led to the formation of the interdisciplinary community Arachnophilia, a research-driven initiative that refines concepts and ideas related to spider/webs, across different forms of knowledge, to develop a more profound understanding of the role spiders play within our cosmic web of life.
With Love and Respect,
The Skin of Nature Team.
But how sustainable synthetic leather really is?
Unfortunately, it is not.
In fact, the most common leather alternative is made with a petroleum-based plastic, called polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The production of plastic-based leather involves the use of fossil fuel, chemicals, non-natural dyes and excessive amounts of water.
All these elements combined together make the production and processing of this material very polluting and dangerous for the environment.
So, what can we do?
Luckily, science is coming up with amazing innovative solutions to create plastic-free vegan options that don’t harm any animal or the planet. The latest substitutes out there are made of...fruits and plants!
Even though plant-based alternatives still need petroleum-based products to hold the fibers together, the amount used to produce these materials is significantly less than what is used for PVC leather.
Here are some interesting and innovative plant-based options that will make our wardrobes smile!
PINEAPPLE LEATHER
Made with cellulose fibers coming from pineapple leaves!
This material is called Piñatex, and it is created by felting the long fibres from pineapple leaves together to create a non-woven substrate.
The pineapple industry globally produces 40,000 tonnes of pineapple leaves waste every year, which is usually left to rot or burnt. With 480 of those leaves, it's possible to create 1 square meter of pineapple leather. The leftover biomass from the process is often used as a fertiliser.
Piñatex is produced using a waste product that doesn’t require any additional land, water, pesticide or fertilizer. It also avoids the use of toxic chemicals and heavy metals that are commonly used in animal leather production.
APPLE LEATHER
Apple Leather is made with the leftovers from harvested apples: like seeds, cores and peel. It is 100% biodegradable, highly durable, UV-resistant, and it has a soft, rich texture.
The use of this product as a sustainable alternative to animal or plastic leather is becoming more and more popular. In fact, some very popular brands of the fashion and automotive industry are currently using it for their creations and accessories.
This plant-based leather is created by taking the recovered apple waste and reducing it to a powder. Once processed, it is combined with polyurethane and coated onto canvas.
The result is a durable but soft fabric, perfect for hard-wearing accessories.
One of the pros of using apple waste as main raw material, is that it is a completely renewable resource: this reduces the CO2 impact significantly, if compared to synthetic leather made from 100% fossil fuels.
MUSHROOM LEATHER
Developed by textile startup Bolt Threads, “Mylo” is a soft leather-like material made out of mycelium, the underground root structure of mushrooms.
This material is obtained by reproducing what happens under the forest floor in a controlled indoor environment. The process starts with feeding mycelial cells with sawdust and organic material while controlling the humidity and temperature of the environment. The mycelium grows into a foamy layer that is then harvested, processed and dyed, while the remaining material is composted. The resulting fabric is a simil leather product, very durable and abrasion-resistant.
Unlike Pinatex and Apple Leather, Mylo doesn’t come from waste product but the material is completely biodegradable and non-toxic. Mylo is not on the market yet but it surely sounds like an innovative and exciting alternative we can’t wait to try!
CACTUS LEATHER
Cactus leather is a sustainable leather alternative made from Opuntia Cactus (also known as Nopal) that has been developed in Mexico.Cactus leather production starts in an organic cactus farm, where only the mature leaves are harvested, leaving the core of the cacti intact. In 6-8 months the leaves are able to grow back and are ready to be re-harvested.
Once the leaves are cut, they are mashed and sun-dried for 3 days. When the right level of moisture is achieved, the substance is mixed with non-toxic chemicals and attached to a backing.
This particular harvest and production methods make the creation of Cactus leather a very sustainable process, as the plants only require little water to grow, rain water is enough, without any need for artificial irrigation. For 1 kg of dry material, only 200 liters of water are needed. To put that into perspective, plants like corn require more than 1.000 liters to produce the same amount.
Thanks to science, and to sustainable brands who invest years of work in research and development, we are able to have access to ethically made products that cause less harm to the animals, to the people and to our environment.
Making the right choices is only up to us.
The Skin of Nature Team
Good news for us conscious fashion freaks!
There is a new sustainable material in town and it’s quite revolutionary.
For those of us who are always on the hunt for new sustainable options but also like to keep it stylish, this might be just the perfect fit. We are talking about a special kind of yarn, able to guarantee the comfort and durability of polyester but engineered to biodegrade, leaving no trace behind.
This innovative material is called Amni Soul Eco®.
What is it exactly?
It’s a polyamide yarn that contains a formulation of additives able to confer the property of enhanced biodegradability. This means it is a strong and durable material that can be used for any type of garment (outerwear, swimsuits, lingerie, activewear, etc.), with all the characteristics of polyester but with the capability to biodegrade.
How does it work?
When exposed to high humidity, Amni Soul’s additives facilitate the access of bacteria to the microscopic structure of the fibers by “swelling” them and by triggering the biofilm formation process, through a biological mechanism known as “quorum sensing”. This process is used by the microorganisms to regulate their population density through chemical signaling. Once the biodegradation process initiates, the polyamide, with its chemical structure based on carbon and hydrogen, becomes food for bacteria.
Amni Soul Eco®, is the first biodegradable polyamide yarn in the world. Its improved formula allows all clothes made with this innovative technology to quickly decompose after being properly disposed of in landfills.
Sooner or later every textile product that we use ends up in a landfill. However, Amni Soul Eco® is able to biodegrade thanks to its technology designed to enhance a decomposition process that only starts when the garment is discarded and reaches the landfill: the contact with microorganisms existing in this anaerobic environment, activates the yarn's biodegradation.
Unlike other fibers that take decades to decompose, Amni Soul Eco® takes approximately five years to biodegrade and disappear from the planet.
Of course the usual golden rule applies: just because a garment is biodegradable doesn't mean you need to get rid of it as soon as you’re done wearing it. You can donate it, exchange it or upcycle it. This polyamide is very durable and can last a lifetime.
When science and technology act in synergy with love and respect for the planet, magical things can happen and this new material could be a real revolution for the fashion industry.
We are so proud to be among the first brands to use this game-changing technology for one of our collections, Different Kind.
If you’re curious to know more about it have a look here:
https://skinofnature.co/pages/explore-different-kind
With Love and Respect,
The Skin of Nature Team
Here’s a few Skin of Nature’s tips and tricks to help you take care of mother nature while having your well-deserved good time.
We all know protecting ourselves from the sun is essential, but what we may not know is that, unfortunately, sunscreens can be very dangerous for our planet.
A lot of research shows that the chemicals contained in the traditional formulas (oxybenzone and octinoxate) are damaging to marine life. These substances contain nanoparticles that can unsettle coral's reproduction and growth cycles. They can also disrupt the endocrine system in the fish, reducing their growth and egg output. Scary, isn’t it? That’s why it is vital to choose sunscreen made with natural and eco-friendly ingredients.
If you choose to have a snack or a drink in nature, try to avoid disposable items like plastic straws, cutlery or cups.
There are so many eco-friendly and interesting options: from biodegradable alternatives to glass jars, coconut shells, or colorful water bottles.
There’s no excuse to buy plastic, my friends.
You may have never thought about it, but most of the towels and mats we use for our summer getaways are made of plastic, and will likely end up among piles of textile waste or in a landfill.
Choose options that are made of recycled materials, organic cotton, hemp, or any other natural fabric made with respect for the environment.
The planet will be grateful.
Sadly, not everyone is kind to nature: sometimes, we can find natural landscapes that are left a mess by uncareful humans.
What we can do is bring a cotton or biodegradable bag with us and do our best to collect and help recycle the trash that was left where it doesn’t belong.
The results will help the environment, improve our mood, and make animals and other humans happy.
If you're a smoker, bring your portable ashtray!
A cigarette butt can stay around for up to 1000 years. Cigarettes left in nature stay in nature, causing serious damages to the flora and fauna. How?
Birds and marine life can mistake filters for food, resulting in digestive problems, and sometimes death. Cigarette butts have been found inside the stomachs of a variety of birds, turtles, and other marine animals.
Another risk comes from the fact that cigarette butts can contain chemicals like Lead and Cadmium, toxic heavy metals that, once in contact with the water, begin to leak causing harm to the nearby marine life.
If you’re away from home and want to try some local cuisine, support small local businesses, they need it more than ever.
If eating out is not your jam, you can always enjoy the farmers’ market and its fresh and glorious produce.
Either way, buying local and trying to limit the use of meat are always good choices.
Here we go, this was just our short selection of the many many things we can do to make our summer more respectful and enjoy our communion with nature fully.
Remember, we are not just guests on this planet, we are part of it.
With Love and Respect,
The Skin of Nature Team
]]>Feedback Loops are affecting the climate crisis in ways that are still largely unknown.
More research and awareness are fundamental in order to give these phenomena the consideration they deserve: for example, they were not taken into account in the Paris Agreement, when setting the goal to limit global warming below 2 degrees Celsius.
]]>A feedback that increases an initial warming is called a "Positive Feedback" while a feedback that tends to cool down the increasing temperatures is a "Negative Feedback."
It’s like a domino effect: once one domino falls, it starts a cyclical chain reaction, where all the elements are strictly connected.
In the past years scientists have identified several Positive Feedback Loops in the climate system.
One, for example, is caused by greenhouse gases (GHGs) like carbon dioxide and methane, generated by burning fossil fuels. These gases absorb and store the sun's heat in the atmosphere. The more GHGs in the air, the more the heat that will warm up the planet, disrupting the delicate balance of the climate system.
Another Positive Feedback can be found observing the water cycle.
When greenhouse gases are emitted, the atmosphere warms up. Warmer air makes more water evaporate empting oceans, lakes and rivers and entering the atmosphere.
Hot air holds more vapor, and vapor traps even more heat, making the initial warming worse. More heat means more water evaporating and so on...
It’s a vicious cycle: climate change causes a cascade of effects that result in even more climate change. Without the regulating action of Negative Feedback Loops, a Positive Loop can eventually spiral out of control, creating permanent changes in the climate system. This point of no return is called a “Tipping Point”.
Another example of a Positive Feedback Loop is what’s happening in the Arctic, where methane and carbon can be found in the peat bogs trapped in the permafrost as well as in the seafloor. When the permafrost thaws, thanks to climate change, the methane and carbon are released into the atmosphere adding more GHGs to the equation, which will ultimately lead to more global warming, more heat, more ice melting and more GHGs… well, you get our point.
Another Feedback Loop in the Arctic with global implications? The reduction in sea ice coverage, particularly in the summertime.
The Arctic Ocean plays a very important role in keeping the Earth cool: the ice on its surface creates a wide white surface, able to reflect sun rays.
Unfortunately, the sea-ice cover in the Arctic is shrinking, and this contributes to accelerate global warming and climate change, resulting in even more ice loss.
This is happening because the lack of ice is uncovering the much darker surface of the ocean: the dark water absorbs the sun’s radiation instead of reflecting it causing, needles to say, more heat and more vapor.
Elsewhere, hotter temperatures create the perfect conditions for wildfires that release GHGs and shrink the forests that absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, ultimately leading to even hotter temperatures and, guess what, even more wildfires.
Sadly, there are too many examples of Positive Feedback Loops but good news is there are also good forces on this planet: Negative Feedback Loops are processes that are able to slow down the tragic effects of Positive Feedbacks, helping stabilize the system.
There are several climate changes that can result in Negative Feedbacks.
As we said, even though the heat is increasing, there are still some changes in our climate that are leading us toward cooler temperatures.
For example, as the surface temperature of the Earth goes up, there are increased levels of evaporation from the oceans. This evaporation results in more clouds forming in the lower atmosphere. These clouds, in turn, reflect some solar radiations back into space, slightly decreasing the surface temperature.
Another negative feedback occurs, weirdly enough, thanks to the increasing temperatures of the Earth: as the Stefan-Boltzmann law states, the warmer the planet the more infrared radiation is emitted back into space.
When the amount of outgoing radiation increases, it causes a cooling effect.
Why do we need to know about climate feedback loops and talk about them?
Feedback Loops are affecting the climate crisis in ways that are still largely unknown.
More research and awareness are fundamental in order to give these phenomena the consideration they deserve: for example, they were not taken into account in the Paris Agreement, when setting the goal to limit global warming below 2 degrees Celsius.
Lowering emissions by transitioning to renewable energy, planting trees, ending deforestation and adopting sustainable agricultural techniques, can help reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. These and many other actions can lower the planet’s temperature, reduce excess carbon in the atmosphere and help Negative Feedback Loops (the good ones) mitigate the effects of global warming.
]]>We recently had the chance to come in contact with this beautiful world and we’re excited to get to know more and more about it.
Sound bath is a very ancient practice that has its origins in the sound healing tradition of tibetan monks. Even though some of us are just starting to learn about this topic, music has been used for its therapeutic effects for thousands of years.
How does it work?
It’s a full immersion into sound, similar to meditation but guided by the rhythm and vibrations of a gong or a singing bowl.
A group session can look a lot like a yoga class, participants lay on the ground in savasana position while the sound bath facilitator gently guides the experience.
Every being in this universe vibrates at its own frequency. Everyday stress, problems and bad feelings can affect the balance of our energy and vibrations in a negative way.
The sound waves emanating from the singing bowls have a deep healing power and beneficial effects on our energy, our mood and can even positively affect the cells in the body.
A sound bath session is the perfect way to reharmonize chakras, improve our mood and overall well being.
Some studies show how the low, deep vibrations of the gong can help the optimal functioning of Alpha and Theta brainwaves.
Alpha waves are associated with the subconscious mind and symbolic dream state, while Theta waves are connected to the centred, present mind, able to bring us down from our modern, hyper alert Beta state.
A sound healing experience is a one-of-a-kind journey for our body and our souls, it can help us connect with our inner self and leaves the participant with a great feeling of presence and balance.
Satva is a small, independent project which combines the practice of yoga, ambient sounds and singing bowl techniques to create unique experiences for participants.
With Love and Respect
The Skin of Nature Team
]]>Alexander Semenov is a Marine Biologist specialized in invertebrate animals, he lives and works at the White Sea Biological Station. Years ago, he left his job as a 3D artist in Moscow to follow his dream and become a Professional Underwater Photographer.
Alexander has been a friend of Skin of Nature for a few years now, we collaborated with him to create our Aquatilis collection: ethically-made activewear pieces featuring prints of his stunning photographs.
Through his research, Alexander makes it possible to study and witness the magic of life forms that would otherwise be hidden away in the depth of the ocean, far from our sight.
For more than 10 years, he has been capturing alien-looking, otherworldly, surprisingly beautiful creatures through his camera lenses.
Alexander’s main goal? To raise awareness and people’s interest in marine biology.
How? By sharing beauty to share knowledge.
The 95% of marine biodiversity is still unknown. So, how to get people’s attention on important matters like getting to know and protecting nature? "With beauty", Alex says. “If you catch people’s eye by showing them how beautiful nature can be, you have their attention, they will be more interested and open to learn”.
This is also the aim of our Aquatilis collection, to show beautiful sea creatures, who live in the depth of the sea, and bring them to the surface, walking among us, on our garments and wear them like a second skin.
It makes us genuinely happy to know there are professionals like Alexander Semenov out there, who dedicate their life to research, to explorations, sharing their knowledge with other humans. That’s why we love to spread his story.
We share a common objective with Alexander: we show the beauty of nature to raise interest and curiosity, to bring people to give a closer look.
At Skin of Nature we don’t do it with documentaries or scientific articles, but it is what we do as a brand with our apparel and our voice.
We invite you to visit Coldwater.science to see more of Alexander’s photos and learn more about his work. You can also explore our Aquatilis collection page to see how we’ve turned Alexander’s astonishing pictures into our prints and patterns and learn more about the starring creatures.
There is so much we can do for our planet: commit to ethical production, stay informed, be conscious of what we buy and how, try to be as respectful as possible in our everyday-life choices. Even in this time of not-so-good news, positivity must come from within, from human beings trying their very very best to make this planet a better place.
The Skin of Nature Team
This time encourages us to reflect on what we did in the past months, what we should have done and maybe didn’t but, most of all, it makes us fantasize about the future: the human beings we want to become, how we plan to move forward...
Instead of making new resolutions, at Skin of Nature we like to remind ourselves of our goals and dreams, why we do what we do and what inspires us everyday.
We would love to share with you, what matters to us the most.
First of all: our Product Philosophy, our number one priority!
We wish to continue making high quality products out of regenerated materials and components whose impact on the environment and people is significantly lower than traditional counterparts.We minimize our waste and re-use most of it but we feel like there’s always more one can do and we intend to do it.
Garments with a story to tell.
We create products that are one of a kind and are inspired by nature all along. We feel like, by wearing them, we can connect to it in a new kind of way. We like to share with you the stories behind our pieces, the creatures or humans that inspire them. Each one of our items has our DNA, sparks ecological conversations and celebrates nature.
We would be nothing without our squad.
We nurture our community, from the people involved in developing our garments (the factory or the design lab workers) to the very humans that run it on a daily basis and those who sell our products in retail. We share our values with this community and constantly make sure that our impact on their lives is a positive one.
Celebrating Nature is a serious thing.
We pledge to support grassroot organizations that protect, research and regenerate the environment with 1% of our sales. We intend to use our voices to raise awareness on environmental issues in a genuine and informed way.
We will continue to advocate for slow fashion and responsible consumption. We want to lead by example by working as volunteers, going on expeditions, getting involved first hand into projects to protect our Mother Nature and share our testimonies.
Looking for fellow Nature-lovers.
There are many of us out there but not nearly enough! Our goal is to create a friendly space where we can share our passions, organize fun activities in the wild and connect with like-minded humans to make memorable and meaningful experiences.
We are ready to welcome 2021 with open arms, to work hard for what we believe in and Celebrate every challenge that comes our way!
Happy New Possibilities!
We Love Nature,
We Love our People.
The Skin of Nature Team
We love our playground, our beautiful Mother Nature, and our mission is to make you connect with her in a new way, bringing you closer.
At Skin of Nature we design our pieces thinking about Nature, all the way from the development of our own fabrics made of regenerated or biodegradable materials, to the chemicals, trims and accessories we use (or don’t use). But, the part that plays a central role in our design process is the selection of beautiful patterns of nature that we render into original prints for you to wear as your own skin. That's where our DNA comes in and the stories truly begin.
“Maybe I’m a Nature junky, even if I live in a city, or maybe because of that. Because being out there, exploring, observing, immersing myself into the natural world makes me feel happy. Somehow, I can replicate this feeling even by looking at a picture of nature, I’m relaxed, forever in awe at its beauty and simple perfection.”
We love sharing who we are and what we love so feel free to visit us on social media and start a conversation.
Skin of Nature Team
Alexander and I share something in common: the passion and love for nature and a special sensitivity for its extraordinary beauty. Since then a friendship and beautiful collaboration begun.
Alexander Semenov.
Underwater photographer and marine biologist who welcomed us into his underwater world and gave us the first "skins" for Aquatilis Collection.
Originally from Moscow, Russia he lives across the world oceans travelling for expeditions with his wife Maya. They spend most of their time in the White Sea of Russia running research, teaching and filming under the cold ice with an equipe of professional divers.
Here is an extract of a chat that Alexander and I had during Skin of Nature's virtual launch event where I get Alexander to share some stories about his life and work. Watching this short edited video you'll enter the world of a marine biologist, hear the sounds he hears and see incredible creatures that he encounters and studies in this fascinating underwater galaxy.
E: Alex, tell us a bit about what you do as a marine biologist and photographer with your research team, Aquatilis?
A: To be honest I feel like I’m more of an old-school naturalist than as a marine biologist. I just look around, trying to notice things no one has noticed before. You know, nearly 80% of marine organisms are still undiscovered, and little is known about the life of creatures we already discovered. Even after two thousands years of ocean exploration today we still have so much to discover. At Aquatilis we explore the underwater world, we observe life as it is, filming it in its environment, not in the lab. We are the ones that are always in the field, gathering scientific data through the lenses and sharing our findings both with the scientific community and to all the curious people who just love to explore our planet.
E: You have your own research base, but you also spend lots of time travelling and sometimes you go on expeditions, your office sounds like a lot of fun! Where do you conduct your research usually?
A: We have our research base in Russia, at the White Sea - right at the border of the Polar circle. There is where my wife and I spend most of our time. It’s an amazing place, untouched northern nature. The world stops there, everything is quiet and wild. During summer time we work a lot, providing samples to universities and conducting underwater research projects. When the season is over we can stay and continue our work or go on expeditions to other parts of the world. We worked in the Sea of Okhotsk, Sea of Japan, near Novaya Zemlya Archipelago, rarely we go to warmer places, like Maldives. Actually, we love to be in the warm water sometimes! Usually we spend the winter in Asia, gathering some heat before jumping under the White Sea ice again.
E: What does it feel like to be out there is the wild ocean and explore?
A: Exciting! You never know who you will meet. Some of the creatures we see are beautiful, others look like aliens, like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Sometimes you just get weird surprises, when few thousands of planktonic worms swim to you from the darkness to check your powerful lights, sometimes you’re trying to avoid a spiderweb of jellyfish tentacles, sometimes you just meditate alone in the sea, looking at some of the most beautiful unearthly flowers, who are actually carnivorous animals. Nature has an imagination so powerful that we can’t even try to compete, so we just look and learn from it trying to understand better the world we live in. We’ve gone quite far already but there is still a long way to go.
E: With Aquatilis you are exploring, you are filming and taking pictures? What does that mean in your work? Is that part of the science or is that a passion of yours?
A: Both! But it is more than that, for me it is a way to connect the underwater world with the one above the water, to give everyone an opportunity to see this incredible world with my eyes. We need more underwater researchers, more people who want to study the World ocean, who care about the conservation of marine ecosystem, but if we don’t show them what that is and why it’s so important for us, how can they fall in love with it? I believe that the power of beautiful images and firsthand storytelling is the key to awakening a new curiosity in people’s mind.
E: I could not agree more! I had that exact feeling when I watched for the first time some of your photos on national geographic years ago. Without being a biologist or an experienced diver I feel very connected to the underwater world, something draws me to it, maybe it’s that mysterious element, the idea of the power of the ocean, of its undiscovered inhabitants. But lets’ talk a bit about gelata, jellyfish and plankton, those are the species you and your team mainly focus on right? Can you explain a bit what they are?
A: Gelata are my favourites. It's all plankton, all those creatures that live in a huge world without walls and are carried by the currents all over the world ocean. Plankton is the essential part of the ecosystem, the fundamental component of the food chain that all life on earth depends on. But plankton is more than just tiny creatures invisible to the eye, they are also some of the largest animals on the planet like the 37meter Lion's mane jellyfish or 46meter Apolemia siphonophore, which was discovered just a few months ago. These creatures are often so tender that it is impossible to study them in the laboratory, we can only to observe them under water. It's a rather complex process, but we love challenges, so we chose it as our main research topic.
E: Into the depth of the dark ocean some creatures seem to have light of their own. How is that possible?
A: This is not a bioluminescence, but their real colour. You know, they are like marmalade or gummy bears - light from the diving torch goes in and they “glow” from inside, that’s why they are so colourful and bright at the photos. But a lot of creatures have their own glow, usually it’s green or blue, but it can be seen only in complete darkness.
E: I know that during Covid-19 lock down you were “locked” in an island! You spent 3 months in Ponza, Italy and I was so jealous! What were you doing there?
A: Oh yes! My wife Maya and I were super lucky to be stuck there for 3 months and we were allowed to dive and film! We’ve done so much more than was planned and even made some new discoveries. Our NGO Aquatilis is in fact based in Ponza, my co-founder is Italian and he runs all our Mediterranean research expeditions. So it’s our second home after White Sea station.
E: Oh wow! Tell us more about Aquatilis please.
A: This can be a very long talk! We have so many projects and activities under the hood. Educational courses for kids, new beautiful book, scientific collaborations, new publications, summer field school for students from all over the world… Now we’re working on a new documentary series that focuses on marine life, but not in a classic BBC way. We’re going to make it fun and entertaining, but give some deep knowledge at the same time. We want to rethink and change the style of educational movies and show something that no one has ever seen before.
E: I cannot wait to see! How was shooting in the Mediterranean Sea?
A: Its magical Elena, honestly one of the most diverse marine ecosystems I’ve had the pleasure of diving into. During our night dives we found the combination of wind, stream direction and moon phase, when upwelling current bring deepwater creatures to the surface and we met so many weird and wonderful things! It took some time to understand how the sea works in this place, and it was our fourth expedition to Ponza, but only in this recent expedition we finally have the whole experience. And yes, at the day dives a whole different fauna would show up. Endless world. It is always a great satisfaction to shoot in the Italian waters!
E: I really hope next time you’ll go we’ll meet there! Before I let you go I’d like to publicly thank you Alex, from the bottom of my heart. For having welcomed me into your underwater world and having inspired the beginning of Skin fo Nature’s journey. I cherish our friendship and our collaboration and I’m excited for the things to come!
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]]>Skin of Nature blog will be a sort of travel journal. Mine, ours, those of the people that will want to be part of our story.
When you’ll see my name in these pieces of our travel journal you’ll be about to read letters to you or simple notes and thoughts. Maybe they’ll bore some of you and inspire some others. Some will be funny and others surprising. They’ll be brief but real, letters telling the stories of a small company that loves the planet.
Let’s start from the beginning, or almost. Skin of Nature was born in my head years ago and it took me years to be sure I really wanted to start my own label and to figure out how I was going to do it right (never ending process really). It took me years of lessons, travels, career changes and life changing experiences to understand that with my ideas and my passion I could create something that would be valuable for me and for the Planet.
The beginning of this journey started when in my head an idea consolidated and when that idea became my mission. And here it is then, a mission I now share with our small and 99% female team. You will find it in everything we do at Skin of Nature and hopefully some of you share a similar one yourselves. It’s the reason for which I got myself into this amazing and challenging journey.
Everything begins with Nature, something immense and glorious that was not created by us, but which we belong to and which we depend on. But also something which we think we are able to control and expect to exploit. Now Nature is hurting, for our greedy and exponential development, because, too busy trying to grow faster, bigger, richer, stronger we forgot to love it.
Skin of Nature is inspired by those who never stop loving Nature and dedicate their lives to celebrate, discover, study and preserve our Planet Earth. We want to spread these stories so that they can be of inspiration. So that we can open our eyes and cherish the beauty of Nature, that we have the responsibility to love.
Through our letters, videos, photographs and of course through our garments we will ask you to stop for a second, and observe the pure beauty of Nature, in its smallest and fleeting details. To let yourself be surprised by things you didn’t even know existed, to dwell on the why and what everything is for in Nature. We believe that to protect Nature we must connect with it once again, through all of our senses and in many different ways. Nature is not a place elsewhere, it is who we are and what we love.
Here are our roots, what we believe in. You’ll see more of this and hopefully you’ll like joining our journey.
From the abysses to the tallest peaks. Out there to explore ladies!
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