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.
Engagements & Speaking
Shaw Contract × NeoCon — Featured Collaborator & Speaker
Chicago, IL | June 2026Art × Sustainability Panel, Salon 21 — Panelist
New York, NY | February 2026DesignED Leadership Workshop, Shaw Contract — Guest Speaker
Atlanta, GA | November 2025Kent State University Fashion Program — Guest Speaker
New York, NY | November 2025ABC Carpet & Home — Bioplastic Workshop & Live Demonstration
New York, NY & Connecticut | November 2025Earth Day: Sustainability in Fashion
Diane von Furstenberg Flagship Store
New York, NY | March 2025Parsons Alumni Women in Leadership Panel
New York, NY | March 2025Network Next Generation: Sustainability & Wellness Summit — Guest Speaker
2024Ace Hotel Brookyln — Bioplastic Workshop & Live Demonstration
2024
Selected Retailers & Stockists
Whitney Museum Shop- New York, NY
Museum of Arts and Design Store- New York, NY
Museum of Craft and Design Store- San Francisco, CA
ABC Carpet & Home- New York, NY Greenwich CT, UES New York
LoveHouse Gallery-New York, NY
Hauteline- New York, NY
Quartz & Honey at Crystal Bridges Museum- Bentenville, AR
Lark Curated- Naples, FL
Moniomi Interiors- Miami, FL
Moda Operandi- Online
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.
Moda Operandi — Spring Trunk Show
2026
Somos Art House — Mi Casa Tu Casa
New York, NY | 2026
ONNI: Art & Design Group Exhibition - Isbael Sullivan Gallery
New York, NY | 2026
Salon 21 — Bloom
New York, NY | 2026
The New York Times × Studio II — Bioplastic Green Vine
February 2025
Galerie Paradis
Paris, France | 2025
The Family Show — LoveHouse Gallery
New York, NY | 2025
Reynolds Gallery — Vessels with Isabella Innis Paintings
Virginia | 2025
ONNI: Art & Design Holiday Market
Gallery and Lyle Gallery
2025
Fortnight — Visionary Projects at Chelsea Contemporary
New York, NY | September 2024
Expressions, Interpretations, and Connections — ATTA Gallery
Bangkok, Thailand | 2023
Adorno Design × OAD Interiors
Brooklyn, NY | 2023
Kravet Curated — Capsule Collection
2023
MELT — HNH Gallery × Adorno Design
New York, NY | 2022
American Express Lounge — Surface Gallery, Art Basel Miami
Miami, FL | 2021
Selected Honors & Awards
Forbes 30 Under 30 — Art & Style
2025
Green Product Award — Interior and Lifestyle Finalist
2026