Ocean Recherche advances marine biomass materials for textiles

Ocean Recherche is promoting marine biomass as its main raw material for fashion and design applications. The Paris-based company supplies a range of materials developed from ocean resources, aiming to offer scalable and design-ready alternatives for the industry.

Founder Eugène Riconneaus explained that the idea grew from a gap in the market. “I couldn’t find next-generation materials that met designers’ expectations and could scale, so I studied the science to build them,” he said. This approach led to the creation of marine biomass-based textile and material solutions designed for fashion, interiors and industrial design.

Among the company’s first developments are “SeiShell,” a leather alternative made from marine biomass, and “SeiYarn,” a fiber derived from ocean-based sources. These products mark the initial outcomes of the company’s research and development efforts focused on sea-sourced innovation.

Positioning itself within the broader shift toward regenerative and bio-based materials, Ocean Recherche presents its work through exhibitions and collaborative design projects. Rather than operating as a traditional textile mill, the company describes itself as working at the intersection of marine science, innovation and material development.