Is biodesign the future of textile?
Textile is a great index to monitor humanity’s technological evolution. All textile-related innovations that we take today for granted, such as the loom and synthetic fabrics, have contributed to wealth generation. The industrial revolution was a major turning point in our history. Marked by advances in textile technologies, this era had far-reaching consequences which impacted the world for centuries. Today we are standing at a crossroad. We are at the dawn of a new disruptive era that will see the introduction of a new way of fabric manufacturing. The Billion Pound question is: will biodesign be the future of textile?
What is biodesign?
Biodesign is the application of living things to design. In simpler terms, it consists in using biology via biomimicry and bioengineering to create new objects. Biodesign is applied in many industries such as but not limited to cosmetology, healthcare, aerospace and textile design, the subject of this article. Textile design is a process where nature is a co-creator and not a mere exploitable resource. It is a process where designers are cultivators of textile and not mass consumers. Designers collaborate with nature to cultivate and control materials' properties. Moreover, the generated materials grow naturally without the need for artificial energy.
Dress Grown From Root - bio-designing new sustainable materialsStudio image of white root dress, inspired by marine shapes and corals, displayed on a black mannequinGrass root wedding dress, organicially woven by nature itself.Grass root textile, grown and shaped to form a unique wedding dress. This is a dress that puts the enviornment first. Photographed at the Rootfull studio, biodesigned by Zena Holloway, London, UK
Is there a need?
As the old proverb goes, necessity is the mother of innovation. Textile production is estimated to be responsible for about 20% of global clean water pollution, 3.9 billion tons of CO2 emission, and is projected to increase by 63% by 2030. Therefore, it can be considered as a major polluting industry. As a result, there is a pressing ethical and environmental issue that needs to be resolved. Cracking the code of a greener textile production cannot come soon enough.
Are there any advances?
Yes, and they are abundant whether it is dresses, bags and shoes! To name but a few pertinent examples - Natsai Audrey Chieza, a leading figure in the biodesign industry, developed bacterial dyes and Suzanne Lee, a fashion designer based in New York, has been growing fibers out of fermented tea. Meanwhile Bolt Threads, a research company, have pioneered the spider “silk” and are also making a leather alternative from mycelium through their sub-brand Mylo.
In Canada, Roya Aghighi and Lite-1 developed a photosynthesis-capable textile. And Jen Keane in London has been discovering microbial weaving. Charlotte McCurdy, a New York based designer and researcher, harnessed water-resistant material from algae whilst development company Modern Meadow came up with liquid leather. Finally, MIT and New Balance have recently produced the bio-skin - aka fabric that breathes.
It is clear that innovation in this field is evolving, and quickly.
Is it financially viable?
There are two schools of thought on the matter. Some believe that building a viable business model is crucial for investors to buy in biodesign so it can be replicated and scaled up at an industrial level. Others are following a different approach. They are promoting the idea of decoupling growth from profit, so biodesign remains truly sustainable. For them, it is the only way to save a promising technique from becoming another greenwashing tool.
Is the ecosystem ready?
Not really. For biodesign to lead the next textile revolution, it needs to have the support of the entire ecosystem. Bare in mind that textile serves a function beyond fashion; it is used for furniture, medical equipment, building materials and much more. Therefore, all the actors across all the relevant industries should come together to set up a common action plan and collaborative systems in order to give everyone access to the needed equipment and investments. Furthermore, the industry will need a new set of legal frameworks and rules to define what is organic textile and regulations to monitor the industry. It is only when we have people from different backgrounds and expertise contributing to the topic that we can see real and tangible advancements.
To answer our initial question, biodesign is definitely a part of the textile industry’s future. However, will this process be democratized? That will only happen, if all the stakeholders take firm actions to overcome dependency on petrochemicals and mass harvesting.
Written by Christelle EL-Daher a GLITCH Magazine Contributor