Textifood: The Fabrics of the Future Exhibition
Our journey to discover new materials and products for fashion continues! After telling you about the evolution of the sector through the hands-on voice of designers, entrepreneurs and companies with What’s about design?, Now we want to guide you on a fascinating journey to discover the fabrics of the future.
What do orange and nettle have in common? They eat, drink and… weave! This is the theme of Textifood, the exhibition which, on the line of the Futurotextiles project dedicated to technical and innovative fabrics, presents some fibers obtained from plant and animal species, of which one part is edible and the other is used for textile creation. .
Conceived for the French Pavilion at Expo Milano 2015 and in line with the theme of the Universal Exposition “Feeding the planet, energy for life”, the exhibition tells the world of fabrics in its incredible diversity, with the aim of showing the field of possible synergies between food and textile production systems.
Within the walls of Palazzo delle Stelline, headquarters of the Institut Français in Milan, Lille3000 with the support of the Métropole Européenne de Lille and the Nord-Pas de Calais region has managed to create a unique exhibition: fibers and fabrics never seen before, come from various continents to make the general public aware of the new environmental and scientific perspectives made possible by the treatment of natural materials.
Orange, pineapple, banana, nettle, seaweed, wines, beers, shellfish… Fruit and vegetables (and more) at the service of fashion! The textile industry of the future makes food waste a real resource from which to draw to create innovative supports capable of meeting the needs of the market and responding to the need for sustainability of a planet that is increasingly at risk.
Here is our selection of the fabrics of the future.
CREDITS TO TEXTIFOOD, FUTUROTEXTILES
In Japan, since the 13th century, bananas have been used to make a type of fabric, the very light “jusi”, still used to make kimonos. It is a cotton-like material obtained from the stems to which the bunches of bananas are attached. Dita Sandico pioneered the transformation of banana leaves into “banana silk” abacà. In 2014, the fiber reached the general public with the dress made by Coralie Marabelle on pineapple and banana fabric by Elodie Brunet and with the dress by the artist Em Riem made entirely of dried banana leaves.
Nettle is not only used in soups! Since the Second World War, the Germans used nettle fiber as an alternative to cotton to make their uniforms because the textile market was dominated by England. Today it has effectively entered the world of fashion thanks to several European projects including the Italian Grado Zero with the 100% nettle fiber jacket. The advantages of this fiber are remarkable: it does not need fertilizers and for cultivation it requires little water, thus ranking it among the most sustainable fibers.
So far we have talked about natural fibers obtained from materials existing in nature and used by mechanical processing, but many new generation fabrics are made up of artificial textile fibers.
CREDITS TO TEXTIFOOD, FUTUROTEXTILES
Among the cellulosic fibers obtained from plants is our Orange Fiber, the first fiber obtained from citrus fruit pulp, that is, the wet residue that remains at the end of the industrial production of citrus juice. With a silky appearance similar to acetate, the fabric is also biodegradable.
A new natural textile fiber obtained from the cellulose of marine algae is Seacell, a cellulosic fiber in which algae extracts and silver ions are inserted, which guarantee a natural antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-itch function.
Then there are the artificial fibers, that is obtained with the chemical treatment of a material of animal origin. Milk fiber is an interesting alternative to wool and silk, whose production and disposal involves considerable environmental damage. Milk fiber is obtained from casein, the main milk protein, with which an artificial fiber very similar to wool can be obtained. The casein needed to make it is only extracted from spoiled milk, which also makes it a very clever recycling project. QMilk has made it possible to take great strides in the direction of sustainability: production requires only 2 liters of water for every kilo of product, no chemicals and zero production waste.
CREDITS TO TEXTIFOOD, FUTUROTEXTILES
Crabyon, on the other hand, is a recyclable and biodegradable natural fiber manufactured starting from the extraction of chitosan from the shell of the crab and subsequent mixing with viscose. This substance is obtained from food industry waste. The chemical structure of chitosan gives it highly antibacterial properties, and being very similar to cellulose, when combined with viscose and cotton makes Crabyon fiber very versatile.
Some industry experts and fashion designers are starting to experiment with alternative fabrics looking for an alternative using bacteria. It is in this vein that the Biocouture of the stylist Suzanne Lee fits. Her recipe? A symbiotic mix of bacteria, yeasts and other microorganisms that produce thin cellulose sheets in a fermentation process. When the sheets dry, they can be cut and sewn like regular fabric or shaped while still damp.
CREDITS TO TEXTIFOOD, FUTUROTEXTILES
A team of researchers from the University of Western Australia, coordinated by scientist Gary Cass with the collaboration of artist Donna Franklin, has created a new fabric starting from the fermentation process of alcoholic beverages. The fabric obtained from this process is red for red wine, translucent for white wine and amber for beer. The only drawback is the lack of flexibility, which greatly reduces the fit and the vinegar-like odor.
If you are not satisfied with our virtual journey to discover the new fabrics of the future, we recommend you take a trip to Textifood, it is really worth it. You have until July 14th.
Come and visit us at the Lille3000 Pavilion at the Institut Français, Palazzo delle Stelline, in C.so Magenta 63 in Milan.
63 a Milano.