Substanz in Hong Kong: AlgaeSkin at APLF 2026
Showcasing AlgaeSkin at APLF Hong Kong
Substanz has a long-standing and productive relationship with material R&D company PEELSPHERE®, working together to explore the design and application potential of its innovative biomaterials.
AlgaeSkin was one of the first next-generation materials onboarded by Substanz in 2023. Since then, we have developed a number of exhibition pieces for PEELSPHERE®, creating finished accessories that demonstrate how this emerging material can be translated into contemporary product design.
In 2026, Substanz designs were featured on the PEELSPHERE® stand at APLF Hong Kong, one of the leading international trade fairs for leather, materials and related industries.
The featured pieces — Flora and Babygirl — were both produced using AlgaeSkin, showcasing the material's potential for distinctive, contemporary accessory design.
From biomaterial to finished product
For Substanz, working with new materials is about more than sourcing or showcasing material samples. We explore how their specific texture, structure, flexibility and processing characteristics can be translated into real products.
The AlgaeSkin prototypes created for PEELSPHERE® demonstrate this approach: taking an innovative bio-based material and developing it into tangible accessories that allow designers, brands and industry professionals to experience its qualities in a finished application.
This type of material prototyping and product development is an important step in introducing new materials to the fashion and accessories market. It helps demonstrate not only what a material is made from, but also what it can actually become.
AlgaeSkin: an algae-based biomaterial
PEELSPHERE® is a material innovation company founded by a multidisciplinary team of designers, engineers and entrepreneurs. Supported by Kering Group, the company developed AlgaeSkin, a biodegradable, petroleum-plastic-free bio-polymer derived from algae.
With its distinctive natural texture and efficient use of material, AlgaeSkin belongs to a growing category of bio-based materials and alternatives to conventional synthetic materials.
For fashion and accessories, materials such as AlgaeSkin open up new possibilities for designers looking beyond traditional leather and petroleum-based synthetics. Their potential lies not only in their material composition, but in how their unique physical and visual properties can become part of the design itself.
Designing with next-generation materials
Substanz works at the intersection of material innovation, fashion design and manufacturing, helping brands and material companies explore the practical applications of emerging materials.
Our work with PEELSPHERE® illustrates this process — from material selection and design development to prototyping and finished product applications.
By creating physical products from new materials, we help make emerging biomaterials and leather alternatives easier to understand, evaluate and apply in real-world fashion and accessory development.
