MARIEKA RATSMA
Fashion

Marieka Ratsuma is a Dutch fashion designer. In her collection 'Das Axiom der Fairness', she explores various theories on the symbiose of organisms of different species and the interaction with their surroundings, the centerpiece of the collection is the 'Biomimicry shoe', created with American architect Kostika Spaho and inspired by bird bones and developed through 3D printing.

'Nature could serve as a source of inspiration for a new way of designing. If we learn from its experience in the field of design, processes and lifestyles, we can develop intelligent systems, ingenious products and effective partnerships. Nature can also prove highly inspiring in the field of fashion. Above all, she can teach us to make more efficient use of materials and smarter constructions. In this regard, rapidly developing innovative technologies, such as 3D printing, may prove beneficial by offering us means of imitating nature more accurately in our designs. Nature actually functions by making efficient use of raw materials and pooling resources. This approach can also be applied in the fashion sector. The smart use of materials and cross fertilisation among various disciplines could lead to a new design perspective. The concentration of strengths and sharing of burdens creates a win-win situation for all players, a synergy.' - Marieka Ratsma