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.
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.
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. |
| A finished Biocouture garment, resembling skin. |
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.
