Suzanne Lee is Director of the project and a Senior Research Fellow at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. She is collaborating with scientists to unite design with cutting edge bio and nano-technologies.

“BioCouture is a research project harnessing nature to propose a radical future fashion vision. We are investigating the use of microbial-cellulose, grown in a laboratory, to produce clothing. Our ultimate goal is to literally grow a dress in 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 they 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, they remove the cellulose skin from the growth bath. They 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.

Although these can only be worn in dry weather, and very carefully, BioCouture is pioneering a new eco-friendly and sustainable alternative. The future scale up of this material would also seek to use waste streams, for example from the food or drinks industry, to fuel the microbial-cellulose production. What started as a fashion project has now evolved into a biomaterials project – They are only just beginning to imagine what other uses there might be for this material. Right now these clothes are experimental prototypes and not commercially available, and, as the material is still in development, they are unable to provide samples.

More information at www.biocouture.co.uk

DESIGNERS | Permalink | One comment |

What is closer to us they say, is what we can describe the best, photograph the best and in Senghye Yang’s case, illustrate the best. Having graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2011, interned for Alexander McQueen and won numerous awards, Yang proceeds to observe the nearest environment and create a fictional world around it.  Reference point of Yang’s work? Retro. While it’s not surprising since the world is spinning in an unprecedented retro frenzie, take it from fashion and Miuccia Prada to music and Lana del Rey, Yang’s work gets a bit differentiated by capturing classic moments of the 50′s and the 60′s (could be the time Niels is landing on the moon, or Hitchcock’s legendary scenes or just a household’s cooking time)  and adding a great dose of groove in it.(...) Read More about Senghye Yang’s Retro Illustrations (8 words)

ILLUSTRATION | Permalink | No comment |

Maybe it’s because Noemie Goudal was a graphic designer and illustrator before shifting over to photography, but there’s no doubt that her work mixes both the organic and the man-made in one striking image. “I wanted to mix the two worlds to see how they interact,” she shares in an (...) Read More about Noemie Goudal’s Photography (114 words)

FINE ART | Permalink | 2 comments |

Recently graduate from Central Saint Martins, Ivan Curia Nunes contacted us to introduce his ‘Life is too important to be taken seriously’ menswear collection which gave him the 2nd runner prize at the Central Saint Martins B.A. Honors show. I love his oversize linen silhouette and (...) Read More about Ivan Curia Nunes Graduation Collection (38 words)

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What a great concept! im sure you will find some cool design objects for your house. Starting on the 1st of June 2010, the BA Graphic Design course from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design will be running a week-long pop up shop under the name ’2060′. Second year graphic design students have designed and(...) Read More about ’2060′ Central Saint Martins Pop up Shop (43 words)

HEARSAY, STORE | Permalink | No comment |

David Koma, an MA graduate from Central Saint Martins, was awarded the Harrods design award in February. Koma’s Autumn/Winter 09 collection was a concentration of the female form with fabulous metal shapes and embellishments onto black,nude and pina colada yellow dresses. A previous winner of the award was Christopher Kane in 2006, who has gone strength to strength since and is breaking out into the world. The Georgian born designer, based in London, collection is polished and pays very close attention to the smallest of details – could this be our new little black dress?

(...) Read More about David Koma (0 words)

DESIGNERS, FASHION, RUNWAY | Permalink | 2 comments |

There is one thing I look forward to more than anything else every Fall Fashion Week Presentation , Central Saint Martins Fashion Week Show is one place I can always expect to be surprised, inspired, and assured that our generation will, in fact, leave a mark in the crazy industry we still call fashion. The show has this feeling of freedom of expression and journey of concept. Not to say that the entire show prescribes this kind of sensation but there is always at least one shinning star, an undeniable success story to be written.

(...) Read More about Central Saint Martins 2008 Shinning Star (94 words)

FASHION, RUNWAY | Permalink | No comment |