Fermented Fashion: The New Wave of Sustainable Fashion

By Angelina Bojarski

Donna Franklina and Garry Cass are the inventors of the project Microbe. “Microbe aims to develop innovative research into the production of unique fermented garments grown from a novel method of using bacteria that creates cellulose from wine.” (Mediamatic) Through this research, they have found that “instead of lifeless weaving machines producing the textile, living microbes will ferment a garment.” (Mediamatic)

Cass, hosted a Ted Talk called “A toast to the future of fabrics” where he introduced his company based in Perth, Australia. His goal was to create clothing without adding to the environmental damage. The process of making fermented fashion is quite simple. Instead of using textile machinery to make these garments, living microbes will ferment and produce the garment. The process of fermented fashion is done by converting wine to vinegar, then the microscopic bacteria spins out cotton like fibers and bacterial fermentation of red wine allows the cotton like fibers to happen.

Gary Cass giving his Ted Talk, “A toast to the future of fabrics.”