Bio-Couture

Designer Suzanne Lee uses bacteria to grow a jacket
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/trashfashion

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• eco
• sustainable
• fashion
• kombucha
• bacteria
• bacterial
• cellulose
• Suzanne
• Lee
• biodegradeable

[poetocean]

1995, 17 years ago--my wife created this process and made various sculptures from kombucha including clothing prior to anyone else imagining an application for kombucha other than medicinal--nöle giulini--german born sculptor. Check it out.  ngiulini.com

interested in communicating glemons@waypt.com

[barrymarley]

While this is very cool, is it worthwhile. Is the production of sugar and tea more eco-friendly than the production of cotton.

[ManuelRochaCR]

That's so cool! =)

[AMalePoet]

@rasalghul5555 The pure measure of time. The fermentation process would take a a number of days not months like a convetional crop. Like any prodject or process the simple cutting of time reduces costs and resources used. When perfected what would be used as a resource could be all or partially waste product such as sweetner left over from food production.

[AMalePoet]

Was wondering if Silk can be used with this material. Either in the fermentation mixture or as a laminate. Slik being fairly dynamic and durable may allow the material to survive getting wet. Being composed of protein and water the design potential may be worth a look.

[rasalghul5555]

@ufo8mykat

Yes, I agree the application of the various fields you mention would yield promising results with bacterial tissue. I was just questioning why applying it to the garment industry is anymore ecofriendly then cotton?

[DraskyVanderhoff]

Where can i buy or how can i make that mother culture ? ( sorry if i say it wrong).

I'm really interested in making clothes here in argentine with that awesome tech.

[ufo8mykat]

@rasalghul5555 The application of bacterial tissue can have an enormous impact on, for example, medicine, wound care, burn victims, infection treatment. Though not ideal for garments, the hydrophilia of these sheets may help horticultural efforts in developing countries by being unpalatable to scavengers.

[Emnar2]

It rubs the lotion on it's skin....

[rasalghul5555]

it is interesting but I don't understand how this is more eco-friendly then growing say cotton