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A Shipwreck, but Make It Fashion: Researchers Transformed Wooden Fragments From a 17th-Century Shipwreck Into a Pair of Stylish Maxi Dresses
Key takeaways
- Esa Kapila / Aalto University In 2019, crews renovating a hotel in Oulu, Finland, made a surprising discovery: the remains of a 17th-century cargo ship beneath the hotel’s parking lot.
- Now, researchers at Finland’s Aalto University have incorporated some of the historic ship into two maxi dresses.
- After the Hahtiperä wreck was discovered, conservationists spent years documenting and preserving as much of the structure as they could.
Esa Kapila / Aalto University In 2019, crews renovating a hotel in Oulu, Finland, made a surprising discovery: the remains of a 17th-century cargo ship beneath the hotel’s parking lot. The long-hidden vessel was named the “Hahtiperä wreck” after Oulu’s first harbor.
Now, researchers at Finland’s Aalto University have incorporated some of the historic ship into two maxi dresses. They transformed the centuries-old wood into a fiber, which they spun into a tannish-brown yarn with a subtle sheen. Then, with a little help from artificial intelligence, they used the yarn to knit a pair of long, sleeveless frocks.
After the Hahtiperä wreck was discovered, conservationists spent years documenting and preserving as much of the structure as they could. But they couldn’t save everything, and they ended up with some leftover pieces of wood that were destined for the trash.