Inside ACT 2 — AMANAKAL

Pine recalls Mediterranean forests, dry wood and the warmth of the land. Oyster shell evokes the sea, mineral shores and the natural meeting point between water and earth. Transparent surfaces capture light like water, while flexible structures introduce movement around the body.

The traditional Tunisian Haïk grounds the collection in cultural memory and inherited textile knowledge.

These materials are not divided artificially into "Water" and "Earth". Instead, the two elements coexist within the same objects. Rigid biocomposites provide architecture. Flexible polymers allow movement. Textile introduces softness, memory and transmission.

Together, they create the material language of AMANAKAL: a dialogue between natural resources, Tunisian heritage and contemporary fabrication.

The architectural foundation

The rigid materials form the architectural foundation of the collection. They are used to construct the bodies of bags, sculptural accessories and other elements requiring structure and definition.

Transparent corn-based PLA

The transparent structures used throughout AMANAKAL are created from a strengthened PLA formulation made from renewable plant resources such as corn.

Its translucency reveals the layered construction of each object instead of concealing it. Depending on the direction of the light and the finishing process, the material can appear crystalline, fluid or almost glass-like.

Within the collection, it creates a visual reference to Water without imitating it literally. Light moves through the material, reflections change with the wearer and the internal construction becomes part of the design.

The transparent corn-based PLA is used in selected AMANAKAL bags and accessories, either independently or in combination with Pine Wood PLA and Oyster Shell PLA. The material developer describes this PLA formulation as being made from renewable plant resources such as corn, while also explaining that it is a modified PLA developed to improve strength and toughness.

Discover this material in: AMANAKAL Bags · AMANAKAL Accessories

Pine wood PLA biocomposite

Developed in Spain, the Pine material is a rigid biocomposite made from a polymer matrix incorporating reused organic matter derived from pine wood.

The natural pine content gives the material a warmer tone and a subtly textured surface. Unlike a completely uniform industrial polymer, it retains slight organic variations that connect the precision of 3D fabrication with the irregularity of the natural world.

Within AMANAKAL, Pine represents the terrestrial dimension of the collection. It recalls Mediterranean forests, dry landscapes, wood and the warmth of sun-exposed earth. The material is used for selected bags and accessories, where its tactile surface contrasts with transparent elements and hand-applied finishes.

Its developer describes it as biodegradable and compostable and states that it is produced through the reuse of organic materials such as pine wood.

Discover this material in: AMANAKAL Bags · AMANAKAL Accessories

Oyster shell PLA biocomposite

The rigid Oyster material is developed in Spain from a thermoplastic base containing crushed oyster shells recovered from organic waste.

Oyster shells are naturally composed mainly of calcium carbonate. Once reduced and incorporated into the material, they create a soft mineral appearance somewhere between stone, sand and ceramic.

Natural tonal differences may appear between individual pieces or production batches. These subtle variations are not treated as defects. They reveal the organic origin of the shell material and allow every object to retain its own surface identity.

Within AMANAKAL, Oyster forms one of the clearest connections between Aman and Akal. It originates from the sea, yet becomes a solid, mineral and architectural structure. The material is used in selected bags and accessories, either as a principal surface or in contrast with transparent corn-based PLA.

Its developer describes the material as biodegradable and compostable and confirms that it contains crushed oyster shells recovered from organic waste.

Discover this material in: AMANAKAL Bags · AMANAKAL Accessories

Materials that move with the body

AMANAKAL also explores how digitally fabricated materials can move with the body. The flexible materials are used to create modular petals, connecting components, corset structures and bag pouches. Their elasticity allows forms to bend and respond to movement while preserving the sculptural identity of the collection.

Flexible oyster-shell biocomposite

Developed in France, this flexible biocomposite combines cosmetic-grade oyster-shell powder sourced from Morbihan with a biodegradable polymer matrix.

The material translates the mineral identity of oyster shell into a flexible form. It bends and adapts while retaining a distinctive tactile quality and a connection to the Mediterranean material universe of the collection. AMANAKAL uses this composite in its natural beige and black versions.

In the Petal Set and the Sacred Set, it appears within the modular construction of the skirts. Some petals and connecting components are produced entirely from this flexible oyster-shell material, while other areas combine it with contrasting flexible structures and sections of Tunisian Haïk. The contrast between beige, black and transparent modules creates depth without relying on conventional textile embellishment. The material itself becomes colour, texture and construction.

Its developer describes it as biodegradable and compostable according to the EN 13432 standard. The technical documentation also identifies French cosmetic-grade oyster-shell powder and a biodegradable polymer matrix as its principal components.

Discover this material in: Petal Set · Sacred Set · AMANAKAL Bags

Biodegradable and compostable flexible polymer

The second flexible material used in AMANAKAL was developed in Spain as a biodegradable and compostable alternative to conventional TPU and TPE.

Unlike the oyster-shell composite, it does not contain a visible natural filler. Its role is to provide flexibility, elasticity and movement wherever a rigid material would restrict the body or prevent individual modules from connecting naturally.

In the Petal Set and the Sacred Set, the material is used to create selected white and translucent petals and modular components. These elements can bend independently, overlap and follow the movement of the body while retaining their digitally constructed geometry. The black version is also used in the collection's corset construction, creating a flexible sculptural surface that adapts more naturally to the wearer than a completely rigid shell.

Beyond the garments, the same material is used to create the flexible pouches of selected AMANAKAL bags. These pouches are produced through a hybrid process in which the material is printed directly onto Tunisian Haïk, joining the printed structure and the textile within the same surface.

The developer describes this specialised elastic polymer as 100% biodegradable and compostable and presents it as an alternative to conventional TPU and TPE materials.

Discover this material in: Petal Set · Sacred Set

The traditional Tunisian Haïk

At the textile foundation of AMANAKAL stands the traditional Tunisian Haïk, also written Hayek. Historically associated with generations of Tunisian women, the Haïk carries a cultural and emotional presence that cannot be reproduced by a newly developed polymer.

In AMANAKAL, it is not added as a decorative reference to Tunisia. It becomes an active construction material.

Sections of Haïk are integrated into the modular skirts of the Petal Set and the Sacred Set, creating areas of softness between the sculptural printed petals. The textile allows the compositions to move, fold and interact with the body while preserving a visible connection to Tunisian dress heritage.

The Haïk is also used for the pouches placed inside selected bags. Flexible biodegradable structures are printed directly onto the fabric, transforming the textile into a hybrid surface rather than covering it with a separate plastic component. This process creates a physical connection between two forms of knowledge: inherited textile culture and contemporary digital fabrication.

The result expresses the brand's approach to Future Heritage. Innovation does not need to erase what came before it. Technology can instead extend the function of a traditional material, place it in a new context and allow it to participate in the construction of a different future.

Discover the Haïk construction in: Petal Set · Sacred Set · AMANAKAL Bags