Substanz for Revoltech — Mother of Pearl

Substanz was one of a select group of product developers invited to collaborate with the German material innovation company Revoltech on a design showcasing its pioneering biomaterial MATTR™.

Revoltech quickly became one of our valued R&D partners, sharing our curiosity for material innovation and our belief that next-generation materials should not only perform, but also be beautiful, tactile and desirable. From the earliest experiments, our collaboration has been shaped by an open exchange between material innovation and product design, exploring how new materials can translate into compelling fashion applications.

MATTR™, Revoltech’s innovative algal polymer, combines a soft tactile surface with natural warmth and a distinctive pearlescent sheen. Its unusual material qualities became the starting point for exploring how an algae-based material could be developed into a refined, sculptural fashion object.

MATTR™ is fully biodegradable and free from petroleum-based content, offering an opportunity to explore algae as a renewable material resource while challenging conventional expectations of what bio-based materials can look and feel like.

Mother of Pearl

Our prototype, Mother of Pearl, translates these material qualities into a sculptural design inspired by the organic structure and iridescence of natural mother-of-pearl.

The piece was presented at the Deutsches Museum as part of the Bio Living Lab exhibition, curated by NIMA Studio — bringing together scientific research, material innovation and fashion design in a tangible object.

The project demonstrates Substanz’s role in bridging material innovation and product development: exploring a new material not only for its technical properties, but also for its aesthetic potential, tactile qualities and ability to create new forms of fashion.

Through our collaboration with Revoltech, Substanz explores how biomaterials and sustainable materials can move from material innovation into refined, real-world applications. By combining material selection, product development and prototyping, we help translate innovative bio-based materials into products that are functional, tactile and visually compelling — contributing to the growing field of environmental fashion and new circular economy solutions.

A white purse sits on a wooden surface with a lighting effect creating a shadow and illuminated area on the wall behind it.
Close-up of a white plastic object with a cutout number
Cream-colored handbag with a large letter 'R' keychain, placed on a wooden surface with sunlight shining on it.
Close-up of white leather surface with a white stitched border, showing a small part of a tag with faint text.
Close-up of a white leather wallet with stitched edges and a small fabric tag that says 'SUBSTANCEZ' visible at the corner.
A white handbag with a chain strap and a large letter 'B' tag hanging from the side, stacked on top of another similar white handbag, against a plain light-colored background.
A small white handbag with a top handle and silver hardware resting on a white surface.
A white handbag with silver hardware and a large decorative letter 'P' keychain on a plain white background.
A white decorative star-shaped object with metal screws on a white surface, viewed from above.
A white handbag with a top handle, featuring a large decorative letter 'R' hanging from a chain. The person holding the bag is wearing a white long-sleeve shirt and a white glove. The background is plain and off-white.
Close-up photograph of a white handbag with a silver chain strap and a white tag hanging from it, against a plain light-colored background.
A white handbag with a large letter R tag, a white wallet, and a white wristwatch with a brown strap arranged on a round wooden table with tree-ring patterns. The background features a decorative wallpaper with black and white drawings of pine tree b