Kristina Andreeva, a second-year Product Design student, has been diving deep into the world of biomaterials with her project “Being a Couple”, also known as the Mushroom Klompen project.
Her fascination with shoes and sustainable materials led her to explore an unconventional question: Can fungi be used to create wearable footwear? This curiosity sparked a year-long journey of experimentation, where Kristina has been testing how living organisms like mushrooms can be shaped into functional design pieces.
Currently in the prototyping phase, she’s experimenting with different growth techniques to form the material into shoe-like structures. The process is far from predictable, working with fungi means surrendering control and trusting nature to respond to the environment she creates.
One of the biggest challenges has been learning to let go and allow the material to evolve on its own terms. But the most rewarding part? Repeating the process five times and finally achieving a satisfying result, each iteration offering new insights and unexpected outcomes.
Looking ahead, Kristina plans to expand the project by reimagining traditional Russian lapty shoes using fungi, blending cultural heritage with sustainable innovation. Her work is a testament to the possibilities of biodesign and the creative potential of working with living materials.
