Textile Innovations of the Century part 2

Have you heard of a fabric that comes from underneath the ocean? We're not talking rot- it can actually happen! Deep in the depths of the ocean lie squid whose genes are being used to make a fully circular designed fabric. This fabric is eco- friendly, low cost, biodegradable, 100% recyclable and does not emit microfibres. Frozen in real life- being a mermaid finally came true!

Animal and plant based fibre innovations are on the rise across the industry and are reaching new , unthinkable heights everyday. Here are some of the fabrics that are being seen everywhere:

Hemp fibre: It is anti- microbial, has high heat capacity ratio, is easily dyeable , and colour fast. It is insanely durable. Plus it requires no water or pesticides to grow. However, there is one issue with using it- the legal implications of growing it in several countries. Due to this reason, nettles are being used nowadays as an alternative, and they're booming, specially across the denim industry.

There are other more viable fibres made from plants as well. That includes Lotus fibres, coffee ground fibres and PINATEX- which are fibres made from pineapples.

Lotus fibres have the look and feel of silk and raw linen, are lightweight, soft, silky, breathable and have an almost meditative effect. It has been proven that wearing these fibres causes the wearer to have almost no headaches, heart ailments or asthma. So it's an all natural cure-all fibre, ain't it?

There's more to sustainability: coffee fibres which are anti-odour, have UV ray protection and have 200% faster drying time comparable to cotton and the PINATEX fibres- also known as vegan leather. A non- woven base is created, and a unique finishing process is applied on it at a factory outlet in Spain. It can easily be cut, stitched and printed upon. Oyster shell fabrics with their softness and insulation properties, are odour resistant and produce no static. They are made by grinding oyster shells to powder and mixing with RPET.

What do you get when you boil a gallon of milk? For us, it's a dreamy fairytale dress. Yes! In the 21st century, it's finally coming true! German designer Anke Domaske developed QMilch- she discovered that when you boil ½ gallon milk at 122⁰F exactly then add citric acid to milk, it separates the casein that's the protein in the milk. This casein is then strained, dried, and ground into powder to finally be made into clothing. Looks like it's time for a crossover of "I'm going a milking" and Hansel & Gretal. Her brand Mademoiselle is reaching great heights due to this innovation. It remains to be seen if the clothing can be used across disciplines and industries as well. We hope they are successful.

Pic credit: https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20111008/0013729e4abe0ffa53db06.jpg