As the fashion industry searches for innovative ways to reinvent color sustainably, Patrick McDowell may have cracked the code thanks to Sparxell.
Earlier this week, London-based luxury fashion designer Patrick McDowell announced a new collaboration with Sparxell—the first company to develop 100 percent plant-based, biodegradable pigments made from natural cellulose—at Future Fabrics Expo 2025.
Through this collaboration, the two sustainable-minded forces teamed up to create a white couture gown with black floral detailing made using plant-based cellulose. The gown will retail for approximately $2,608.
Related Stories
“For me it’s always been about common sense and doing things in the most beautiful way…[and that] includes being kinder to the planet,” McDowell told Sourcing Journal. “It’s a game changer to have sparkling textiles that don’t use plastics.”
To create the gown, McDowell used Sparxell’s technology, which replicates the structural color found in nature by arranging cellulose crystals to reflect light and produce vivid hues without synthetic dyes.
This particular gown showcases two distinct shades of Sparxell’s signature blue, including a “sophisticated matte and a brilliant shimmer.” According to Sparxell, the effect captures light through structural color rather than relying on traditional sparkle materials, which are typically made from synthetic dyed plastics or mined metals and minerals.
“What excites me about Sparxell is how they’re advancing what’s possible in responsible luxury,” said McDowell. “Their plant-based pigments and plastic-free sequins are exceptionally vibrant yet completely non-toxic and biodegradable. It opens up entirely new creative possibilities.”
Founded in 2023 by University of Cambridge scientists Dr. Benjamin Droguet and Professor Silvia Vignolini, Sparxell is making its fashion industry debut with this collaboration.
According to Droguet, the timing for this partnership “felt perfect” because the company had just secured around $2 million dollars from the European Innovation Council and expanded its Cambridge facilities to kilogram-scale production, giving Sparxell the capacity to “support fashion partnerships.”
“The fashion industry uses more than 10,000 fossil-based chemicals in current colouration processes, contributing 3-6 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). The textile industry releases 1.5 million tonnes of toxic dyes into the environment annually,” Droguet told Sourcing Journal. “Patrick understands these challenges intimately and has the credibility to demonstrate how our technology can be part of the solution without sacrificing the artistry that makes fashion compelling.”
While this marks Sparxell’s first fashion collaboration, Droguet said he’s “optimistic but realistic” about scaling the technology and expanding its reach.
“We’re currently producing at kilogram scale and plan to double our capacity this year, with the goal of reaching tonne-scale production to serve the $48 billion colourants market,” Droguet said. “The encouraging part is that our technology integrates seamlessly with existing textile manufacturing processes…unlike many other alternative colourants, we don’t require brands to overhaul their operations. As we scale and our costs become more competitive with traditional options, we expect adoption to accelerate naturally. The industry knows it needs alternatives… [and] we’re offering one that actually works.”
