Substanz in Paris: AlgaeSkin at ChangeNOW 2026

AlgaeSkin at the Grand Palais in Paris

Substanz has a long-standing and productive relationship with material R&D company PEELSPHERE®, exploring 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 created a number of exhibition pieces for PEELSPHERE®, developing finished accessories that demonstrate how this emerging material can be translated into contemporary product design.

In 2026, Substanz designs were presented at the PEELSPHERE® stand during the ChangeNOW Summit at the Grand Palais in Paris, bringing the material into an international setting focused on innovation, technology and solutions for the future.

The featured pieces — Flora and Orchid — were produced using AlgaeSkin, demonstrating its potential for distinctive and contemporary accessory design.

Exploring the potential of algae-based materials

For Substanz, working with emerging biomaterials means exploring how their individual material properties can translate into real products.

Rather than treating a new material simply as a replacement for conventional leather or synthetic materials, we look at its texture, structure, flexibility, finish and processing requirements to understand where it can perform best.

The AlgaeSkin prototypes created for PEELSPHERE® show how an algae-based biomaterial can be developed into finished accessories, giving designers and industry professionals a more tangible understanding of the material and its potential applications.

This process of material prototyping and product development is particularly important for next-generation materials, helping bridge the gap between material innovation and commercial product design.

AlgaeSkin by PEELSPHERE®

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 material use, AlgaeSkin is part of a growing field of bio-based materials and alternatives to conventional synthetic materials.

For fashion and accessories, algae-based materials such as AlgaeSkin offer designers new possibilities for exploring material aesthetics, construction and product applications beyond traditional leather and petroleum-based synthetics.

From material innovation to fashion accessories

Substanz works at the intersection of material innovation, fashion design and manufacturing, helping brands, designers and material companies explore how emerging materials can be used in real products.

Our collaboration with PEELSPHERE® demonstrates this approach: from onboarding a new biomaterial to developing design concepts, prototypes and finished accessories that communicate its potential.

By putting new materials into products, Substanz helps make biomaterials, leather alternatives and next-generation materials easier to understand, evaluate and apply in fashion and accessory development.