Sonia Abul
Contact: soniaabul29@gmail.com
University/School: Norwich University of the Arts
View Sonia’s Instagram here
About me
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About me _____
I am a biomaterials and textile designer specialising in sustainable material innovation and experimental textile practices. My work explores how discarded and overlooked materials can be transformed into meaningful, tactile and desirable materials for the future.
Born in Bangladesh and now based in the UK, my practice is influenced by personal experiences of belonging, identity and transformation. I am interested in the connection between materials that are considered unwanted and people who can also experience feelings of being overlooked or discarded. Through hands-on experimentation, I explore food waste, natural fibres and other organic materials to create new surfaces and biomaterials.
My graduate collection, Second Skin: Giving Waste a Second Life, brings these ideas together by transforming waste into expressive textile surfaces and wearable forms. I see material innovation not only as a way to reduce waste, but as a way of giving something overlooked a new sense of value, purpose and identity.
Inspiration
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Inspiration _____
What if waste became tomorrow's luxury material?
My inspiration comes from the idea that nothing should be defined by being discarded. I have always been drawn to overlooked materials and the possibility of giving them another life. This led me to question: what if the things we consider waste still have value, beauty and potential waiting to be discovered?
My personal experiences of belonging, identity and transformation also became an important part of the collection. I see a connection between discarded materials and the feeling of being overlooked or rejected. Through Second Skin, I wanted to transform that idea into something positive — showing that what is considered unwanted can be reclaimed, transformed and given new meaning.
The collection explores food and organic waste through experimental biomaterials, combining material development with textile techniques, surface manipulation and embellishment. Rather than hiding the origins of the materials, I wanted to celebrate their transformation and ask whether waste could become something desirable, valuable and even luxurious.
My work
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My work _____
“Second chances are not only for people; materials can have them too.”
