NOVUM ACCESSORIES
Ellie Shaw
Northumbria University
NOVUM Accessories is a speculative accessories project that combines biomaterial innovation with dystopian storytelling to reimagine bags as preserved artefacts from a future shaped by climate collapse and scarcity. Centred around grape leather and experimental construction methods, the collection explores ideas of survival, protection, and emotional permanence through slouched silhouettes, exposed hardware, exaggerated straps, and fragmented detailing. Rather than presenting sustainability through traditional eco-focused aesthetics, NOVUM positions regenerative materials as rare, desirable, and culturally valuable. Supported by research into biomaterials, consumer behaviour, and luxury fashion, the project extends into immersive publication and promotional concepts that communicate sustainability through narrative, atmosphere, and material interaction.