Houston, TX – [17 September 2025] – Rheom Materials and New Climate Ventures are proud to announce that their online auction of The Black Orchid, a one-of-a-kind luxury handbag designed by LUCKYNELLY and made with Shorai™, raised $1805 for the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund. The winning bid came from Maryann Wilcox, whose generosity will directly support communities impacted by the devastating July floods in Texas Hill Country.
The Black Orchid was designed and handcrafted in Berlin by Christine Rochlitz, the founder of LUCKYNELLY. Since 2012, Christine has created unique luxury handbags, with her work featured in Marie Claire, Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, British Vogue, ELLE, and more. Her designs have graced the runways of New York, Paris, and Berlin Fashion Week.
Crafted from Shorai™, Rheom’s biobased leather alternative in a rich, black hue, The Black Orchid Mini Purse blends innovation with high fashion. With a 91% biobased composition, Shorai is soft, elegant, and achieves approximately 50% biodegradation within 210 days under home composting conditions.
“I will forever carry the memory of this project with me. The Black Orchid is not just a bag — it’s a testament to what happens when creativity is driven by heart and hope.” – Christine Rochlitz, Founder of LUCKYNELLY - BERLIN
The auction took place during the New Climate Ventures Afterparty at Houston Energy & Climate Startup Week, spotlighting the power of climate innovation and creative collaboration. All proceeds will go to the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, which has already granted over $10 million to support flood victims, local businesses, and rebuilding efforts.
About LUCKYNELLY – BERLIN
Founded by Christine Rochlitz in 2012, LUCKYNELLY – BERLIN is a design label for vegan luxury handbags and accessories. As Founder and Head Designer, Christine Rochlitz handcrafts the collections and through the design process creates unique pieces of art. Discover where art meets sustainable luxury at https://www.luckynelly.com.
About New Climate Ventures
New Climate Ventures (NCV) is a venture capital firm investing in category-defining companies building our low-carbon future across industries. Based in Houston, Texas, the firm typically invests at the seed stage and draws on the NCV team's deep prior experience across energy, commodities, and technology. NCV's investments span the decarbonization spectrum, ranging from sustainable aviation fuels to bioplastics, from advanced power generation to grid analytics software and beyond.
About Rheom Materials
Rheom engineers the materials of tomorrow, creating innovative, biobased alternatives to fossil fuel-based plastics. Our two scaled products–Shorai™, a next-gen leather alternative produced roll-to-roll, and Benree™, a versatile biopolymer resin–seamlessly integrate into existing manufacturing while reducing environmental impact. At Rheom, we believe in a future where you can change your impact, not your life. Please visit https://www.rheom.com/ to discover more. For more information, please contact: Marlies Jongens, Branding & Marketing Coordinator, marliesjongens@rheom.com
