From a 400-year-old shipwreck to a knitted dress

A dress made by Aalto University from the wood of a historic shipwreck demonstrates how centuries-old timber can be transformed into recyclable textile fibre.

To reduce the use of virgin raw materials and avoid the waste of natural resources, it is important to consider where materials come from, how they should be used and what happens to them after use.

The possibilities of the circular economy are clearly demonstrated by Aalto University’s so-called shipwreck dress.

The dress is made from wood recovered from the Hahtiperä shipwreck, dating back to the 17th century, which was discovered in the old harbour of Oulu. The wood is pine that may have grown in the Northern Ostrobothnia region as early as the 16th century. The Finnish Heritage Agency was unable to conserve all parts of the wreck and therefore sought suitable uses for the remaining timber.

Using the Ioncell textile fibre technology developed at Aalto University, textile fibres were produced from the wood recovered from the shipwreck. The multi-stage project involved a large number of researchers in chemical engineering and design.

The fibres were spun into yarn, from which a seamless knitted dress was produced using the latest technology at the university’s knitting workshop. The pattern was designed using AI software. The colour of the dress comes directly from the aged wood, eliminating the need for dyeing process.

If needed, the textile can be recycled using cellulose textile recycling methods.

There are two dresses. One of them is on display at the Tomorrow’s Wardrobe exhibition in Oulu until 27 September 2026 and the other will be on display at the Designs for a Cooler Planet exhibition on Aalto University’s campus in Otaniemi, Espoo, from 1 September to 30 October 2026. The dress will be permanently placed in the Tiima Museum in Oulu later this year.

Forest.fi and New Wood are initiatives of the Finnish Forest Association.