Natsai Chieza “biodesigner” at design firm Faber Futures and a “designer-in-residence” at Ginkgo BioWorks, tells Fashionista that it takes about 700 gallons of water to grow, produce, and transport the cotton necessary to produce one T-shirt. She is working on a method that uses bacteria-secreted pigments to dye fabric, dramatically reducing water usage. “Interventions that tackle both water use and chemical use in the textile industry are incredibly rare, so this is an area of development many are watching very closely,” she adds.
Other material solutions include lab-grown leather, kelp-based textiles, and synthetic spider silk. Modern Meadow is using yeast fermentation to produce collagen for renewable leather. The company says that, at current leather consumption rates, human population growth will outpace that of herds. Lab-grown leather also reduces waste because the “hides” are free from imperfections and uneven edges.
Meanwhile, AlgiKnit seeks to replace rayon and viscose—made from hard-to-replace and slow-growing trees—with fast-growing, easy-to-harvest kelp. Comprised of former Fashion Institute of Technology and Pratt students, AlgiKnit has developed a yarn made of biopolymers extracted from kelp that is durable but still biodegradable.
Durable and elastic synthetic spider silk is also gaining traction in the fashion industry. Bolt Threads recently partnered with Stella McCartney to create a few synthetic spider silk pieces.