The second post of last month focused mainly on the sheer amount of waste generated by the vast fashion industry. The devastating statistics featured in that article may have bummed you out, but this week's article will help bring you a brighter outlook on the future of fashion! Although the fashion industry is notorious for being one of the world's biggest polluters, individuals, research teams, and industries are now finding ways to integrate nature into fashion in an environmentally-conscious way. For example, scientists are exploring mechanisms and patterns of nature that could potentially play a role in the design and development of fashion! Some of these include enzymes, grass roots, bacteria. and collagen.
ENZYMES: Enzymes are proteins found in the cells of many living organisms that act as biological catalysts, in other words, they speed up chemical processes. They are known to catalyze over 5,000 different types of biochemical reactions, and like all catalysts, they help speed up a reaction by lowering its activation energy. The processes they are involved in are much simpler and less severe and also help generate less waste. They also consume less energy, chemicals, and water.
BACTERIA TEXTILES: Some examples of how bacteria is used to sustainably make fabric include growing fermented yeast and bacteria into a bacterial cellulose material similar to leather, and using bacteria streptomyces coelicolor to dye fabric, which consumes significantly less water than traditional processes. Furthermore, the companies Spiber and Bolt Threads create spider-silk yarns from yeast proteins through fermentation.
COLLAGEN "LEATHER": The material Zoa is an animal-free alternative to leather, and was created by the company Modern Meadow. It owes its similarities to leather to the fact that collagen is also the main component of leather. However, the collagen used by Modern Meadows is derived from yeast and grown in a lab. The resulting material not only does a very good job of replicating leather, but it also showcases many unique properties and aesthetics that were not available before.
GRASS ROOT TEXTILES: Artist Diana Scherer noticed that the roots of daisies had similarities to wool, while the roots of grass were thin and silky. These discoveries prompted her to weave roots into textiles. She combines art and science by allowing the roots to weave themselves while searching for nutrition and water into the templates she creates. The resulting textiles are both beautiful and functional.
FRUIT & VEGETABLE FABRICS: Cultivated in Zacatecas, Mexico, prickly pear "leather" is produced from the mature leaves of prickly pear cacti, so that the plant itself is undamaged. The resulting "leather" is so strong and durable that it us not only used in fashion, but also for furniture and automotive production! Piñatex, a fabric made of the waste of a pineapple harvest, utilizes the long leaves at the crown of the pineapple. It follows the principles of the circular economy, which simultaneously minimizes waste and creates a versatile material with many uses.
SUSTAINABLE SEQUINS: Last but not least, we have sequins developed from a bioplastic film derived from renewable crops, which can biodegrade safely. As a contrast, traditional sequins were developed from petroleum and their shine was derived from chemicals. These new sustainable sequins made from bioplastics will eventually reduce the demand for synthetic polyester.
These aforementioned new fabrics were the results of both the compassion and brainpower of many scientists and designers, as their creation required them to think outside the box in order to invent ground-breaking new sustainable materials as alternatives to traditional materials. These new materials are much better for the environment and bring us one step closer to the future of fashion, putting behind us the days of heavy water usage and dye pollutants.
REFERENCES:
https://www.wgsn.com/blogs/are-organic-fabrics-with-bacteria-the-future-of-sustainable-fashion/
https://zerrin.com/future-fabrics-expo-sustainable-materials-in-fashion-the-sustainable-angle/
https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ppp3.48
https://futurefashionfactory.org/a-new-solution-for-sustainable-sequins/
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