Biolace

Fashion has always shared a certain connection with biology, however, the designer and full-time academic and deputy director of the Textile Futures Research Centre at Central Saint Martins, Carole Collet, has gone one step further. In her synthetic biology project ‘Biolace’ she is examining whether it might be possible to genetically manipulate plants in order to produce textiles at the same time as food.

According to her research it would be indeed, if the DNA of plants were adapted to produce synthetically-enhanced foods and lace-like fabrics grown from their roots. By using synthetic biology as an engineering technology to reprogram plants into multi-purpose factories, this concept would respond to the need to produce enough food and textiles to cater for the world’s rapidly expanding population.

The thought alone of eating a vitamin-rich black strawberry from a plant that has also produced my little black dress seems abstract, however, it’s a good example to question ourselves whether this form of extreme engineering could alter the world or at least change our perspective on the fashion industry and emerging living technologies.

Lea Bernetic