The concept for BioCouture originated during the research for Suzanne Leeʼs book ʻFashioning The Future: tomorrowʼs wardrobeʼ. A serendipitous conversation in 2003 with Dr. David Hepworth, a biologist and materials scientist, presented a new vision of future fashion – one that emerges fully-formed from a vat of liquid. Rather than exploit plants or petrochemicals to provide the raw material for fabric BioCouture is investigating the use of microbes to grow a textile biomaterial. Certain bacteria will spin microfibrils of pure cellulose during fermentation which form a dense layer that can be harvested and dried. To a sugary green tea solution we add a mixed culture of bacterial cellulose, yeasts and other microorganisms to produce a flexible cellulose mat. The bacteria feed on the sugar and spin fine threads of cellulose. As these start to stick together they form a skin on the liquids surface. After two to three weeks, when it is approximately 1.5cm thick, we remove the cellulose skin from the growth bath. We can then either use it wet to mold onto a 3D form, like a dress shape, or dry it flat and then cut and sew it into a garment. Inspired
Posted on: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 04:01:41 +0000
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