How One Footwear Designer Turned Plants Into Wearable Art

Dubai-based Katrine Hanna used her love and knowledge of plants to design sustainable footwear.

5. Inspiration in the Discarded, Katine Hanna x Google Art _ CultureDubai Culture & Arts Authority

The plant from down under

Australia's common Banksia tree held more than just beauty for Aboriginal people. Its flowers were used as brushes, while its nectar offered sweetness and medicinal benefits. Katrine, however, found inspiration in another part of the plant.

Portait of Katrine by Dubai Culture by Dubai CultureDubai Culture & Arts Authority

Along came Katrine

Katrine Hanna, a Dubai-based Australian-Lebanese designer, discovered a unique way to blend her love for plants with her passion for footwear.

2. First-Hand Footwear, Katrine Hanna x Google Art _ CultureDubai Culture & Arts Authority

5. Inspiration in the Discarded, Katine Hanna x Google Art _ Culture
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Inspired by her homeland Flora

Katrine's Australian heritage fueled her fascination with the Banksia plant. During her studies at LCF, a late-night inspiration struck, sparking a creative vision to bring her botany-fuelled design to life.

1. First Steps, Katrine Hanna x Google Art _ CultureDubai Culture & Arts Authority

The Banksia's new purpose

Katrine collaborates with an Australian supplier who handpicks Banksia only after it has reached its natural end, extending the plant's use as a beautiful, wearable piece of art.

4. Dress To Impress, Katine Hanna x Google Art _ CultureDubai Culture & Arts Authority

2. First-Hand Footwear, Katrine Hanna x Google Art _ Culture
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The path to footwear

Katrine's journey to becoming a footwear designer started with a foundation year of exploration at London's Central Saint Martins. Footwear design emerged as her calling, offering a platform to blend her love for music, plants, and fabric into wearable art.

3. Opportunities in an Emerging Scene, Katine Hanna x Google Art _ CultureDubai Culture & Arts Authority

3. Opportunities in an Emerging Scene, Katine Hanna x Google Art _ Culture
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New Beginnings in Dubai

Katrine saw an opportunity in Dubai's evolving fashion landscape. Eager to contribute her skills and expertise, she embraced the challenge of shaping the city's style.

6. Fungi Fantastic - Katine Hanna x Google Art _ CultureDubai Culture & Arts Authority

4. Dress To Impress, Katine Hanna x Google Art _ Culture
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Celebrating Fashion Individuality

Dubai's fashion scene has undergone a remarkable evolution over the past decade, witnessing increased visibility and demand, especially in women's wear and accessories.

7. Cindarella and Her Grandmother - Katine Hanna x Google Art _ CultureDubai Culture & Arts Authority

7. Cindarella and Her Grandmother - Katine Hanna x Google Art _ Culture
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Fantasy in Every Design

Immersed in her grandmother's enchanting garden, she discovered a passion for fantasy. Penning letters to fairies and illuminating a whimsical lamp post nightly, she felt transported to a world of magic, laying the foundation for her enduring fascination.

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The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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