#50: The Future of Fabrics

In Episode 50 I report back from my recent visit to the Future Fabrics Expo in London. I got to discover what fabrics, fibres, textiles and haberdashery with more sustainable credentials are already on the market. Plus I learnt about some exciting new products and technologies currently in development that offer creative solutions to some of fashion’s biggest issues. I share all this plus my predictions and hopes for garment making fabric going forwards…

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Find out more about the Future Fabrics Expo HERE.

The event is organised by The Sustainable Angle HERE. 

Bananatex make fibres from the Abaca banana plant leaves HERE. See some unprocessed banana plant fibres below:

Piñatex is a company doing something similar with pineapple plants HERE. See the manufacturing cycle for these leather-alternative textiles below:

Image source: Piñatex

Orange Fiber is an Italian company working with Tencel producers Lyocell to make fabrics by combining citrus by-products and wood pulp HERE.

The fibre and fabric innovations display:

Ecovative are producing leather alternatives using mycelium HERE. See the resultant product below:

Image source: Ecovative 

Fulgar chemically recycle used tyres and other waste products to create fibres similar to those created from virgin fossil fuels HERE.

Jess Redgrave explores the potential use of sunflowers in fashion. Find out more HERE. See examples of fabrics dyed using pigments derived from various parts of the plant below:

Learn more about the ‘Living Ink’ created from the by-products of algae HERE. 

Listen to Clare Press’s podcast The Wardrobe Crisis HERE. 

Three of my favourite episodes include:

Ep.150: Liz Ricketts - Waste Colonialism and Dead White Man’s Clothes. 

Ep.131: Aditi Mayer interviews Alok Vaid-Menon - Degendering Fashion.

Ep.104: Adam Minter on Recycling, Reuse and the Second Hand Economy.