chaude couture weaves rice straw into wearable water-repellent raincoat and micro-shelter

Rice straw-made chaude couture as rainwear

Fabulism creates Chaude Couture by weaving rice straw into a wearable, water-repellent raincoat and micro-shelter. The Berlin-based design practice, founded by Giulia Pozzi and Mirko Andolina, presented the rainwear project at the Biennale d’Architecture et de Paysage d’Île-de-France (BAP!) in 2025, which ran between May 7th and July 13th. The designers move away from using plastic to produce the rainwear and instead use natural materials. Their goal is to create clothing that is both protective and made of organic materials.

To do that, they’ve worked with skilled artisans to weave Chaude Couture entirely from rice straw. They’ve also shaped the garment to give protection, so it resembles a dome and covers the upper body of the wearer. The top part is shaped long and round to fit the wearer’s head without letting them feel the weight of the clothing. Because of its natural material, the raincoat is lightweight, can be worn as a fashion statement, and can act as a wearable umbrella that shelters the wearer from the rain (hence, the term micro-shelter). 

all images courtesy of Fabulism | photos by David Carson

inspired by shape and function of old-style raincoats

For the Fabulism designers, their fashion piece focuses on how climate affects everyday life. They believe that adapting to new weather conditions requires changes in buildings and cities as well as in fashion and clothing. Clothing, they add, is part of the cultural landscape, as it shows how people live with their environment. The project is inspired by the shape and function of old-style raincoats but turns them into wearable structures. The designers say it is like wearing part of the landscape since the garment creates a connection between people, nature, and design. Another source of inspiration for the design practice is the Olympic Games in Paris. During the time, many people were seen wearing plastic ponchos due to the heavy rain. 

Given the reputation of plastic for the environment’s health, the designers look for alternative solutions to produce rainwear without using this material. They then studied cultures in tropical regions where people are used to rainy seasons and discovered that in these places, clothing is designed to work with water, not against it. They noted East Asia, where people have made raincoats from natural plant fibers for hundreds of years. These materials include rice straw and other water-repellent fibers, and when it rains, the water flows down the outer surface of the coat and not inside. The result of their efforts, then, reflects their research, as Chaude Couture uses rice straw to protect the wearer from the rain while making it fashion-forward.

Fabulism creates Chaude Couture by weaving rice straw into a water-repellent raincoat and micro-shelter

rear view of the rainwear

the garment resembles a dome and covers the upper body of the wearer

there’s also an evident fan shape to repel the water

side view of the garment

the top part is shaped long and round to fit the wearer’s head

the designers worked with skilled artisans for the project

project info:

name: Chaude Couture

practice: Fabulism | @fabulismoffice

founders: Giulia Pozzi and Mirko Andolina

presented at: Biennale d’Architecture et de Paysage d’Île-de-France (BAP!) 2025

dates: May 7th and July 13th, 2025

photography: David Carson

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