top of page

BACTERIAL DYES

 

Category

Biodesign

Colour innovation 

Carried out at

MA Biodesign

Central Saint Martins

University of the Arts London

Conducted with 

Carolina Kyvik Ruiz

Eleonora Rombolá

Cassandra Quinn

Kit Ondaatje Rolls

Tutors

Nancy Diniz | Course Leader

MA Biodesign

Carole Collet | Professor in Design for Sustainable Futures 

Alice Taylor | Lecturer of Biology and Living Systems

Shem Johnson | Grow Lab Specialist Technician

 

Location
London  —  UK

Date

Jan. 2020

Using bacteriology in Fashion to preserve our oceans. Dyeing with natural bacteria, Janthinobacterium lividum.

The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. Fast fashion has dominated and reshaped the fashion industry since the 1990's and has been a major driver of the industry's enormous greenhouse gas emissions and devastating environmental impact.

 

To protect our oceans and our ecosystems - one of the main issues of our century - we all have an important role to play, by developing natural and sustainable alternatives in our creative process. 

Bacterial pigments offer promising avenues for various applications due to their better biodegradability and higher compatibility with the environment. For this project, we experimented with an aerobic bacteria found in soil, producing Violacein.

Capture d’écran 2020-10-02 à 16.07.51.

Samples evolution on 5 days | Substrate: linen, cotton canvas, tyvek, viscose, wool fibers and cotton calico.

Results of the bacterial innoculation after 5 days.

Dried samples | Results after washing.

bottom of page