Elements of Nature || Mutations is a research project exploring how wearable technology can forge a living connection between the body and distant, fragile ecosystems. Its starting point is a group of plant species surviving in the near-untouched heights of the Tyrolean Alps—quiet indicators of a warming mountain world, their retreating ranges tracing the pace of climate change. Through a process of digital botany—scanning these plants and translating their growth patterns into L-systems—the project generates physical wearable sculptures paired with digital counterparts. Embedded NFC tags let wearers touch their garment to open a digital interface connecting the piece to its plant species, with a live, real-time ecosystem connection as the project's next development stage. Investigating biodegradable, dissolvable, repairable, and even edible fabrication methods, the work asks what it means for garments to participate in ecological cycles rather than stand apart from them. Both wearable and installation, each piece keeps its owner tethered to a remote ecosystem long after the encounter.

The project is part of Daria's PhD research supervised by Prof. Marjan Colletti at the Department of Experimental Architecture—Hochbau, University of Innsbruck, and was presented at Digital Fashion Week NYC & London 2025 in collaboration with RIGHT DIRECTION.