What happens when an environmentalist and a fashion designer accidentally run into each other? With a little hard work and dedication, a project comes to light. From the minds of sustainable fashion designer Corentin Daudigny and filmmaker Amy Lauren, Project Sea Ice was born out of the desire to bring environmental issues to an audience that might not realize the true threat of climate change. 

Despite many young people in the fashion industry striving for change, the industry remains one of the most polluting in the world. If we present the percentage of global pollution the fashion industry contributes to, the numbers appear low: between 8% and 10% out of the total toxic consumption coming from human industrial activities.

However, translating these numbers into more effective data doesn’t take that long: the fashion industry impacts the Earth in the most dangerous way with over “over 92 million tonnes of waste produced per year and 79 trillion liters of water consumed.” There’s only so much recycling, thrifting, and talks about sustainable fabrics that can be done. What truly needs to change is the thought process of consumption. This is the aim of both Daudigny’s work, through his fashion brand Corentin Chrtistian, and Lauren’s scientific research.

It all started somewhere in the Arctic during 2019. Lauren was on an expedition, focusing on gathering images of sea ice. As she noticed the beautiful colors of the ice in the light and the slow melting created by our heating planet, Lauren realized the importance of bringing the Arctic to everyone. How? She wasn’t quite sure yet, but in February of 2023, she understood that the power of fashion can also make the earth’s voice heard. After she and Daudigny briefly met, they kept in touch, tossing around ideas that would birth Project Sea Ice. 

Using sustainable fabrics, the images that Lauren had taken on her expedition of glacial ice slivers were cast into fabric patterns and made into garments to be presented to the world. These beautiful creations were shown on the world fashion stage in New York last September during Fashion Week–only eight months after the initial meeting of the two collaborators. 

Climate change sits in the back of so many people’s minds, an afterthought to our day-to-day lives. While fashion and sustainability can intersect, it’s often in terms of thrifting. The luxury market still drives items that are rapidly produced or crafted using materials that lack sustainability. A few brands like Stella McCartney focus on sustainable fashion, but luxury is often just as unsustainable as fast fashion. In fact, according to Remake’s 2024 report, Chanel was ranked near Shein on a sustainability scale. However, if enough consumers demand sustainability, this would impact the supply and the demand for these products would drive the cost down over time. 

Socioeconomic barriers are one issue that comes up often when shopping for sustainable luxury products. The process takes much more thought than rapidly produced garments, the details that mark the product a luxury also demand to be compensated. Project Sea Ice’s garments are priced after fair trade for the aspiring consumer, along with a thought for the luxury customer who desires a special product. 

Besides the details of the garment’s design being based on sea ice and the sustainable aspect of the fabrics used, both Lauren and Daudigny understood that it was important to create an ethical production process. These are the details that a conscious consumer focuses on, details that allow our planet to continue to thrive, and details that every designer must look at in order for the future to be as bright and colorful as the slivers of sea ice from the Arctic. As we inch into a sustainable future where fashion intersects all aspects of the world, one can’t help but realize these things and hope for consumers to start to shift their mindset.

Project Sea Ice is today a project that is part of the many stunning pieces of Daudigny, in an archive open to the public. Nowadays, what once was known as Maison Iagu (Daudigny’s former brand) has blossomed into a fervent and much more personal creative journey for the designer, whose brand now is Corentin Christian. From his statement, Corentin explain his shift to rebranding his work and fully diving into the roots of culture, sustainability, and fair trade. “IAGU became Corentin Christian, though in truth, it had always been Corentin Christian. I just wasn’t ready to embrace my story. This name is deeply rooted in my family’s legacy, paying tribute to my grandfather. My family hails from a humble background, where hard work, empathy, and compassion are our core values. I was born in Fourmies, where France’s textile industry began in the mid-eighteenth century with the first lace factories, where my great-grandmother worked as a child.”

“My childhood dream was to create clothes that help people fall in love with themselves again, free from societal constructs and norms. (…) Through sustainable practices that focus not only on fabrics but also on the human aspect, Corentin Christian is about redefining wearable luxury. Our vision is authentic, simple yet creative, beautiful from the inside out through details, and versatile, ensuring both men and women can wear our clothes across seasons and throughout their lives.”

A beautiful evolution, worth the waiting and supporting. Well done, Corentin!