Hello, I’m CZ!

Caroline Zimbalist is an artist and designer known for creating one-of-a-kind works through innovative, nontraditional processes. Trained in painting, illustration, and sculpture from an early age, she earned a BFA in Fashion from Parsons School of Design and further developed her avant-garde sensibility while studying at Central Saint Martins in London.

Driven by a deep interest in material experimentation and expressive color, Caroline began deconstructing her abstract paintings—removing them from their frames and translating them into garments—exploring how bodies could be draped in shifting palettes and textures. Over the past several years, her practice has evolved into a focused exploration of biodegradable bioplastics, which she uses to create sculptural clothing, jewelry, and functional objects.

Using a proprietary recipe of natural, biodegradable materials, Caroline molds fluid, three-dimensional forms that emphasize both ecological responsibility and material versatility. Her work blurs the boundaries between fashion, art, and design, positioning biomaterials as both medium and message.

Caroline is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree (Art & Style, 2025). In addition to her studio practice, she leads hands-on workshops and demonstrations centered on biomaterials and sustainable making, including programming with ABC Carpet & Home, and works as a CAD designer within the New York fashion industry.

Her work has been available through the Whitney Museum Shop, ABC Carpet & Home, 1stDibs, LoveHouse, Kravet Curated, Ssense, and Moda Operandi.

I’m always excited to collaborate and explore new possibilities with my materials. If you have an inquiry, custom idea, or project in mind, want to host a workshop?I’d love to hear from you.

What is on your mind?

Currently…

• Showing work in ONNI — Art & Design Holiday Market, curated by Isabel Sullivan
Gallery and Lyle Gallery, December 6–30, 2025

• Bioplastic Vessels are finalists for the 2026 Green Product Award
Public voting is now open

Engagements & Speaking

  • DesignED Leadership Workshop, Shaw Contract — Atlanta, GA
    November 2025

  • Guest Speaker, Kent State University Fashion Program — New York, NY
    November 2025

  • Bioplastic Workshop & Live Demonstration, ABC Carpet & Home — New York, NY & Connecticut
    November 2025
    (Hands-on biomaterials workshop; documentation available)

  • Sustainability in Fashion Panel, Earth Day — DVF Flagship Store, New York, NY
    March 2025

  • Parsons Alumni Women in Leadership Panel — New York, NY
    March 2025

  • Network Next Generation: Sustainability & Wellness Summit — Guest Speaker
    2024

  • Bioplastic Demo Workshop, Ace Hotel — Live Demonstration & Class
    2024

My process took a transformative turn when I began experimenting in the kitchen—cooking, pouring, and sculpting my own bioplastics using all-natural ingredients. Before this shift, I worked extensively with silicone and other synthetic materials. Over time, I realized how harmful they were to my body; I actually became sick from working with them. That experience was a wake-up call, pushing me to rethink not only what I was making, but what I was making it with.

In response, I began developing my own bioplastics—an alternative that felt safer, more intuitive, and better for the environment. Through years of trial, error, and instinct, this research evolved into a patent-pending formula that has become the foundation of my practice and a way for me to merge design with sustainability.

The resulting material is lightweight yet substantial, with a glassy translucence, natural flexibility, and a distinctive tactile quality. No two pieces are ever the same. Each work is hand-poured, individually dyed using a combination of synthetic and botanical pigments, and shaped through a process that exists at the intersection of science and sculpture.

This material innovation is recognized not only for its ecological approach, but for the versatility it allows—enabling my work to move fluidly between art, design, fashion, and functional object.

From the LIC Studio

Every piece begins with curiosity, experimentation, and a hands-on relationship to material.

Made with LOVE

For longevity, adaptability, and a lighter footprint.

Selected exhibitions featuring works by Caroline Zimbalist.

  • NextJump — New York, NY 2025

  • ONN Holiday Show, Isabel Sullivan and Lyle Gallery- Tribecca, NY 2025

  • MaidenHome Campaign- Featuring Multi Bioplastic Vessels on Table San Fransisco, CA

  • Galerie Paradis — Paris, France 2025

  • The Family Show, LoveHouse Gallery — New York, NY 2025

  • Vessels with Isabella Innis Paintings, Reynolds Gallery — Virginia 2025

  • Moda Operandi Holiday Trunk Show — Featuring 30 Bioplastic Vessels 2024

  • Bioplastic Green Vine, The New York Times — Studio II February 2025

  • Fortnight, Visionary Projects — Chelsea Contemporary, New York, NY Sept 9–22, 2024

  • Moda Operandi Trunk Show — Featuring 12 Bioplastic Vessels 2023

  • Vases and Floor Lamps, Rubin & Chapelle Madison 2023

  • Expressions, Interpretations, and Connections, ATTA Gallery — Bangkok,Thailand 2023

  • Adorno Design × OAD Interiors — Brooklyn, NY November 7–December 5, 2023

  • Capsule Collection, Kravet Interiors — Kravet Curated 2023

  • MELT, HNH Gallery × Adorno Design — New York, NY 2022

  • American Express Lounge, Art Basel Miami — Surface Gallery, Miami, FL 2021