Biocouture, Vegetable Leather: The Future Fabric of Fashion?

London based designer Suzanne Lee is growing her own material for a project named Biocouture. Biocouture is a research project harnessing nature to propose a radical future fashion vision. Lee is collaborating with scientists to unite design with cutting edge bio and nano technologies. Together they are investigating the use of microbial-cellulose, to produce clothing. 
Lee is essentially using a kombucha recipe. Biocouture clothing comprises a concoction of green tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast which spin cellulose in a fermentation process. Over time, these tiny threads form in the liquid into layers and produce a mat on the surface, enabling the growth of an organic material which Lee describes as a kind of vegetable leather. 

I'm not suggesting that microbial cellulose is going to be a replacement for cotton, leather or other textile materials. But I do think it could be quite a smart and sustainable addition to our increasingly precious natural resources. ~ Suzanne Lee

The potentiality for this organic alternative to leather is very exciting.
There are flaws in the design, however, like the super-absorbency of the material. If the material gets wet it will absorb the liquid, taking the material back to its former growth state. Lee is very confident that the issue can be resolved. The difficulty is how best to achieve it without the use of nasty chemicals.

Suzanne Lee came up with the idea when researching her book, "Fashioning The Future: Tomorrow's Wardrobe" about how fashion might look in 50 years time.

A finished Biocouture garment, resembling skin.

I found out about Suzanne Lee's work after discovering Olivier Goulet's SkinBag Garments during a visit to 'Skin' at one of my favourite galleries; Wellcome Collection.
The two discoveries collide because I discovered them around the same time, plus, the first Biocouture garment that I saw resembles skin like qualities. My broadening interests at the time allowed me to be recepetive to new designers and artists that were blowing my mind. I love to discover an artist and then years later be updated of their achievements through different media. I discovered Suzanne Lee's work sometime in 2010 and since then I've been an avid follower of it.
Recently, in 2012, I've noticed that Lee's Biocouture project is being even more widely publicised. I've read that Lee has had so many enquiries that she can't keep up! I know that her work has been involved with PR in blogs for years and on her own site; Biocouture (recently under construction). And now, recently, Biocouture has been broadcast from the local BBC headquarters to the distant Brooklyn, NY, by the super Reality Sandwich.
We will witness more advancements of this material's potential as the project evolves becoming more commercially viable and desired for its sustainable and ethical properties.

 Design Futurist Suzanne Lee is a disruptive thinker who translates emergent technologies into future visions. ~ Biocouture

Suzanne Lee on CNN - How to grow your own clothes


Here's a video from March 2011. Suzanne Lee giving a TED talk about her Biocouture project:

On the 7th of July this year Suzanne Lee appeared on the BBC alongside an annoyingly apt theme-tune.  Biocouture: Designer Suzanne Lee on growing your own clothes.

Happy researching.

Fermented Fashion

Researchers at the Bioalloy laboratories University of Western Australia have developed a way to turn alcohol into clothing. The creators have aptly named the living microbe fabric Micro'be'.
The Microb'be'/Fermented Fashion project investigates the practical and cultural biosynthesis of microbiology, exploring forms of futuristic dress-making and textile technologies.

Photo Courtesy of Bioalloy.org

The project involves a collaboration between scientist Gary Cass and artist Donna Franklin. Fermented Fashion expands upon concepts explored in their previous works.
Gary Cass was inspired to create cellulose garments when he noticed a skin-like rubbery layer covering a vat of wine that was contaminated with Acetobacter bacteria; the kind that ferment wine into vinegar. This process creates microfibers of cellulose (similar to cotton) which feels a little sludgy when wet but it dries to the consistency of cotton.
Cass worked with artist Donna Franklin to fashion the bacteria. The bacteria ferments the alcohol into a raft of microbial fibrils that float just above the surface. Once extracted the material is fashioned by pouring and wrapping around a mold or a body. The resulting material is entirely seamless. 
The Micro‘be’ material, initially fermented from red wine, has now been produced from white wine, beer and even Guinness. The different types of alcohol give a different shade to the finished fabric. Although, the smell of the bacteria is apparent even after the material has stiffened which isn't ideal for commercial usage. The creators acknowledge the flaws in their design. The fabric lacks flexibility and smells pretty alcoholic. Cass and Franklin are currently working on these issues to make the fabric more commercial, and they're optimistic about their experimentation. 

Photo Courtesy of Bioalloy.org

The fabric takes on the colour of its feedstock

Micro'be' is an eco-friendly, organic and biodegradable material. Growing our own fabric could be one of the answers to resource shortages. On another note, there's not a seamstress in sight which cuts production costs. Although the material isn't ready to have commercial use, it's ingenuity to invigorate the status quo. Besides, the research isn't over. Cass is also researching Microb’be’s potential as medical dressing or scaffolds for tissue engineering.

“Fermented fashion doesn’t need to stay within the fashion world but can inspire new thoughts in many other disciplines, such as medicine, engineering, dentistry, architecture. All one has to do is let their imagination, creativity, and ingenuity loose.” ~ Gary Cass


If you like this project, I recommend Biocouture,
and Fashion and Biomimicry.

Closed Loop Production; Preventing Landfill

McDonald's 85,000 employees in Britain are set to get a makeover this summer. When the 2012 Olympic Games open in London, McDonald's staff will be sporting new uniforms designed by Wayne and Geraldine Hemingway (for Worn Again), the husband and wife behind London fashion label Red or Dead. 

Upcycling design brand Worn Again have a long term partnership with McDonald's to introduce a closed loop system of recycling their uniforms. McDonald's were the first company in the UK to commit to the closed loop system. They could soon be followed by National Grid and Marks and Spencer. Virgin Atlantic, Royal Mail and Eurostar have already joined forces with Worn Again for upcycled products.

What is Closed Loop?

Closed loop production is a manufacturing model that incorporates returned products as a part of the supply chain. The manufacturer takes responsibility of the product once the products become obsolete; the manufacturer reclaim (to reuse) what they had distributed. The reclaimed items will usually be reused, recycled or upcycled into another product, thus creating a loop. The closed loop system deters the used products ending up in landfills, preventing waste, devising a more sustainable design life-cycle.  

"Closed-loop production is a big deal, and a very, very important area for the future," ~ Nabil Nasr, director of the Golisano Institute for Sustainability at the Rochester Institute of Technology. "What's driving the growth is the realisation among manufacturers that there won't be enough raw materials to meet the increasing demand for consumer goods in developing economies in the future. The rising price of oil - one of the main components of polyester - is also sparking interest in the new production method."

........

What was McDonald's previous system for discarding old uniforms, I wonder? 
In Britain alone, 33.4 million uniforms are purchased each year and less than 5% of them are recycled. 
The closed loop system will ensure the percentage of (uniform) recycling increases dramatically, promoting sustainable production lines and preventing 'waste' to landfill.

........

'Worn Again works with large companies to upcycle their existing textiles waste into new products while developing and integrating closed loop textiles solutions for the future.' ~ Worn Again

Worn Again has only just begun to bring together a network of companies committed to using closed-loop uniforms, but Rhoades is already looking ahead. "The high street is the next big step. Ultimately, we need to move into the consumer market." 
There are also other obstacles, such as the fact that the recycling of natural fibers, as well as blends of natural and synthetic materials, isn't technologically possible at the moment. "That's our holy grail, finding ways to close-loop natural fibers." - Rhoades

Remade: Virgin Atlantic's old economy class seat covers 

Remade: Royal Mail's decommissioned storm jackets 

Decommissioned Eurostar uniforms upcycled into Eurostar bags

Why Upcycle? 

“The combined waste from clothing and textiles in the UK is about 2.35 million tonnes, 13% going to material recovery (about 300 thousand tonnes), 13% to incineration and 74% (1.8 million tonnes) to landfill.” - University of Cambridge Institute for Manufacturing

Worn Again

Fast food and slow fashion?
I must admit I was a little skeptical upon hearing McDonald's to be the first corporation to take on closed loop production, although skepticism aside, the benefits of no textiles going to landfill do not lie. The bigger the corporation that Worn Again work with, the more people who will get to witness their advancements. It's encouraging to see such gargantuan companies participating in greener values. Worn Again are lessening the environmental impact for the end phase of product use; waste doesn't have to be waste.

McDonald's/Worn Again Press Release

Shed Me Clothes: An Alternative to Fast Fashion?

Shed me Clothes is a project devised by Katie Ledger, an MA Fashion and the Environment Student. 

During her studies at London College of Fashion, Katie Ledger developed an innovative textile that reduces the environmental impact during the use phase of a garment through the application of biomimetic techniques.


Shed me Clothes follows the development of a biomimetic textile that draws inspiration from the ecdysis process (or shedding of skin) witnessed in nature by snakes and insects. Recognising that snakes shed layers to repair and renew, Shed me Clothes sets about developing a textile that too sheds layers as an alternative to laundering. ~ Shed me Clothes Press Release

Shed Me designs would comprise three to eight layers of natural-fiber fabric attached by polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), a nontoxic, water-soluble yarn with high tensile strength and flexibility. It's described as a quick-dissolver and fully biodegradable.
Katie Ledger aims to reduce the environmental impacts of a garment during its use phase by creating a new method for laundering clothes. These garments don't require conventional laundering, skipping the energy intensive phase of use. Instead, when the outer layers are sprayed with water, it's possible to peel a layer of the garment away, each layer molts to reveal a new one. Shed me Clothes offers another alternative, too. The layers that have been shed can be composted, offering an alternate disposal, highlighting the 'waste' issue of what should and can be done to minimise it. In some cases the shed layers can be reattached in different configurations.

'The purpose to find an alternative to laundering is the ultimate aim of the textile with the sole purpose that the use phase causes the most environmental impact during the life cycle of a garment; consuming high levels of energy and releasing phosphates into waterways.' 

'By composting shed layers, the usually linear clothing life cycle can be closed. The ultimate disposability of Shed me Clothes offers an alternative to fast fashion.'

~ Shed me Clothes Press Release

Katie Ledger has made films showcasing her concept and there are also Shed me Clothes tests available to view online on YouTube: Beherenwrobin 

Katie wishes to continue the Shed me Clothes project at PhD level with a strong desire to explore the concept's potential. 

This is an inspiring project exploring new methods of biomimetic design solutions to solve global issues - one to watch. Highly looking forward to its progression.

Design for Change; Fashion meets Biomimicry

How Can Designers Apply Biomimicry Principles to Fashion? Kate Fletcher and Lynda Grose explain in Ecouterre's Blog.

'Biomimicry draws us far beyond the limits of the narrow and intellectual habitat of industrialized design and reminds us of the dual nature of our present circumstances as designers: how small a part we play in, and yet what enormous responsibility we have, to the “whole.”' An excerpt taken from Fashion & Sustainability: Design for Change (2012, Laurence King) by Kate Fletcher and Lynda Grose.

Practical magic: Fractal Geometry

Using the example of an equilateral triangle, Donella Meadows explains that when another such triangle is added at the center of each side and the pattern repeated, an elaborate shape results. The Koch snowflake illustrates that biomimicry is not simply a tool for copying. Rather, it is understanding and applying nature’s principles—surprisingly simple at their core.

Kate Fletcher and Lynda Grose discuss Janine Benyus' basic guidelines for designers who wish to evaluate their own ideas and actions for using biomimicry models. Benyus states that designers should use Nature as a model, as a measure and as a mentor. Without all three guidelines the full potential of biomimicry might not be realised. 

Nature as a model: where nature is imitated or used as a source of inspiration for designs and processes to solve human problems, e.g. a solar cell inspired by a leaf.
Nature as measure: where nature is used as an ecological standard to judge the “rightness” of our innovation, e.g., considering how much energy (and what type) does the solar panel use in its production and whether the energy it saves during use justifies this investment.
Nature as mentor: where nature is viewed and valued in a new way. It introduces an era based not on what we can extract from the natural world, but on what we can learn from it, e.g., developing solar technology that can be installed close to the point of use, rather than developing desert wilderness areas into solar-panel farms.

'Designers may be frustrated at the lack of access and means for implementing biomimicry innovations.' 

Fletcher and Grose continue to discuss the starting point of biomimicry for fashion designers which is usually the physical materiality - the textiles.
Advantageous: It is sometimes enough to change the surface of textiles without having to change the chemistry of them; just take a look at Sharklet, for example.
Disadvantageous: The enhancement of fabrics and fibers are usually housed within the labs of technical Universities thus making the knowledge of these material developments difficult to access. The frustrations of the designer's difficulty accessing information are "indicators of old work habits".
I acknowledge that the perceived "old work habits" are a second-nature reaction to the pressure as a retailer for quick turn around in conception, to production to shop floor for consumer use. The ever growing competition will not allow designers to slow down the speed of their collection's readiness. But, I believe this ethos is practiced by the high street designers and retailers.
The designers who want to achieve greatness in their developments are doing so. Take a look at these three designers for inspiration:


Karen Ingham - Pollinator Frocks. Protecting the symbiotic relationships of declining species through interdisciplinary collaboration with entomologists, botanists, microscopists, surface pattern technologists and print and coating engineers. (Nature as a model:) The fabrics of the pollinator frocks were treated with pollinator food sources that replicate nectar. Ingham designed frocks to attract bees and butterflies; the patterned fabric acts as 'wearable gardens'.

Donna Sgro - Morphotex. Sydney designer Donna Sgro designed a frock from the Morphotex, a nanotechnology-based, structurally coloured fiber that mimics the microscopic structure of the Morpho butterfly’s wings. Manufactured by Teijin in Japan. (Nature as a measure:) No dyes or pigments are used for Morphotex, and because the dyeing process is skipped so is the water and energy consumption that is used in conventional dyeing. 





Suzanne Lee - BioCouture. Imagine if we could grow clothing. Suzanne Lee is realising that potential. She is collaborating with scientists to unite design with cutting edge bio and nano-technologies. (Nature as a mentor?:) Together they are investigating the use of microbial-cellulose, grown in a laboratory, to produce clothing.




-Going back to the koch snowflake and Benyus' work; to understand the distinction of biomimicry's purpose is critical. It's too easy for designers to use biomimicry to sell novelty and feign green credentials. However, the authenticity of smart design will be exceptionally difficult to feign (of many factors) and only those who have the mastery of their field should succeed in discovering biomimicry's power.

Returning to thoughts on consumerism and the need for speed of retailers: Fletcher and Grose state that "Fabric and product development, ecology, business motivations, and consumer behaviour must co-evolve to achieve optimum sustainability benefits."
The reality is that all affecting factors of the design's lifecycle must co-evolve together. There needs to be a balance of consciousness between the factors, especially that of the relationship between the consumer's behaviour and the businesses motives or vice versa. In the product lifecycle case, or for the basic biomimicry guidelines of model, measure and mentor; one without the other is extracting potential power away from an extremely powerful medium.

Adopt the pace of Nature

Little Slide Dress

Emily Steel constructed The Little Slide Dress out of recycled individual film slides, backed with light-sensitive LEDs. During the day the dress will remain true to its surface material of little colour, but when darkness falls the LEDs sensor reacts, bringing the backed slides truly into the limelight.

"The Little Slide Dress is a modern take on the classic Little Black Dress. It uses modern technology and blends it with a 100-year-old medium, film. The Dress draws inspiration from classic movies and the ‘magic of film’ to create a wearable piece of technology and art." ~ Emily Steel, Behance

Lemuria Moon Dress

The Lemuria Moon Dress is an awe-inspiring versatile shape-shifting number. There are SIX dresses in ONE making the Lunar Dress economical and cutting edge. It's wholly impressive of Susanna Gioia to design six styles created from the fabric usage of one dress.
The ingenuity of the lunar dress takes its inspiration from the phases of the moon.

Watch Susanna Gioia's Lemuria dress in action on Vimeo: Abito Luna