COzTERRA partners with knitwear designer Bryan Yeo to unveil an exclusive carbon-capturing dress

Since its inception, the Vogue Singapore Foundation has made it its mission to elevate and champion Southeast Asian creatives on a global stage. Positioned as one of the fundamental drivers of the foundation, the Vogue Innovation Prize was introduced as a fundraising initiative to empower trailblazing fashion businesses across Southeast Asia, providing them with a platform to showcase their solutions to real-world problems.

Last year, Vogue Singapore partnered with luxury manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles BMW for the 2023 iteration of the Innovation Prize, which saw a bevy of businesses from all around the region participate. Research and development company COzTERRA emerged victorious, with their innovative solution to combating climate change.

Ahead of the second iteration of the multi-day landmark affair Next In Vogue—happening from 16 to 17 October this year, the Vogue Singapore Foundation and COzTERRA have come together in a bid to support local talent, sustainability and innovation. Partnering with Singaporean knitwear designer Bryan Yeo to create a one-of-a-kind carbon-capturing dress, this garment would then be exhibited at event, and available for auction.

A recent graduate of Central Saint Martins, Yeo’s work is rooted in the exploration of texture and materiality, which he uses as a physical medium to express intangible emotions. Yeo crafts knitwear that embodies the complexities and nuances of the human experience, with each piece being a testament to the power and natural evolution of fabric development. Shares the intrepid designer: “The inspiration for this dress is rooted in the emotionally charged atmosphere of the 1950s film Les Enfants Terribles. The characters exist in a constant state of emotional turbulence—caught in a vortex of love, grief, loss, and guilt—which I wanted to reflect in the design.”

Additionally, Yeo notes that the draped detailing on the dress was a reference to Renaissance art. “I sought to translate this idea into fabric, using it to convey the tangible and intangible nature of emotions,” he explains. “The result is a garment that appears simplistic in structure but is imbued with complexity through its materials and design, mirroring the layered emotional turmoil and the nuanced forces at play in both the film, humanity and our broader society.”

A quick glance at the dress and one can immediately notice the intricacies and attention to detail present. Developing the knit and creating the individual pieces took approximately 60 man hours, followed by an additional 48 hours to piece the garment together. Various yarns and knitting techniques were adopted during the process, with Yeo opting for a double-bed transfer method that allowed for him to create specific points in the fabric to form “pleats” and “gathers”, resulting in a garment that can be manipulated in shape and silhouette to fit the wearer’s body. “To enhance its dynamism, I incorporated several knotting and twisting techniques that I had previously explored in personal projects,” shares Yeo. “These methods added additional movement and texture to the fabric, allowing the garment to be a true reflection of my design and knitwear aesthetics.”

Following the construction of the dress, the COzTERRA treatment was then carefully added. The dress is now essentially a carbon-capturing agent, with the added finishing allowing for the fabric to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and turn it into a harmless mineral released during washing. This aligns with COzTERRA’s vision of enabling every human being on the surface of the planet to become CO2 removal agents, using their innovative AI-driven platform to address the world’s urgent sustainability challenges and fostering a lasting positive impact on the environment. 

This dress will be exhibited at Next in Vogue 2024, and is now open to bidding here. All proceeds from the auction will be shared between Yeo and the Vogue Singapore Foundation to continue championing local talents via education and monetary support.

To learn more about the Vogue Singapore Foundation, click here.