Dealing with ethical issues by removing the use of animal leathers within the Fashion industry.
Marie Melcore is a material, textile and graphic designer. These three fields allow her to evolve in a transversal and multidisciplinary context.
By developing them through the biodesign prism, she addresses environmental issues and the relationship between living organisms and design.
Marie Melcore is a material, textile and graphic designer. These three fields allow her to evolve in a transversal and multidisciplinary context.
By developing them through the biodesign prism, she addresses environmental issues and the relationship between living organisms and design.
BACTERIAL DYES
Category
Biodesign
Colour innovation
Carried out at
MA Biodesign
Central Saint Martins
University of the Arts London
Conducted with
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
Utilizing Bacteriology in Fashion for Ocean Conservation: Dyeing with Natural Bacteria, Janthinobacterium lividum.
The fashion industry stands as one of the most polluting sectors globally. Since the 1990s, the dominance of fast fashion has profoundly shaped this industry, resulting in extensive greenhouse gas emissions and a profoundly destructive environmental footprint. Amidst the pressing challenges of our time, safeguarding our oceans and ecosystems demands collective action. We each bear a significant responsibility in fostering natural and sustainable alternatives within our creative processes.
Bacterial pigments hold promise across various applications due to their enhanced biodegradability and greater compatibility with the environment. In this project, we engaged with an aerobic bacteria commonly found in soil, which produces Violacein.

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.