Living in a Next Gen Material World
Image courtesy of Spur Magazine
Thought this week
The conditions of our world are calling us to live in our genius.
- Gay Hendricks
Living in a ‘Next Gen’ Material World
My column TOMORROW for Spur came out in Japanese newsstands. Spur is one of the leading fashion magazines in Japan and this month we focused on the Bio-Industrial Revolution, ushered by Next Gen Materials visionaries.
Bridging the gap between the best of our human ingenuity and the most urgent of our climate challenges.
Visionaries have a profound grasp of systemic issues and ambitions for a radically different future. They see the world from a big-picture perspective, bypassing incremental progress and current limitations, to reimagine possibilities across industries and society. “A new material addresses today’s needs, while a next-gen material anticipates & solves tomorrow’s needs.” – Neeka Mashouf, Co-Founder and CEO of Rubi shared with Future VVorld.
Compared to a decade ago, there are tangible building blocks for a no-waste and regenerative fashion future. Investment in next-gen materials reached over $3 billion USD according to Material Innovation’s 2023 report.
However 2023 proved challenging, like many other industries, with the closure of Renewcell and BoltThreads’ struggles. Despite the uncertain landscape, 2023 saw a slight increase in next gen materials start-ups, bringing the total to 144.
While the US, UK, and Europe still host the majority of innovators, Central and South America are emerging with Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Peru, and Costa Rica nurturing their own promising start-ups. This shift, alongside innovations in Indonesia, India, the Philippines could disrupt power dynamics and bring a diversity of perspectives and skills.
Plant-based materials now account for 53% of all next-gen materials, with 14% from microbes and 8% from mycelium.
They help restore the environment by moving away from resource-intensive manufacturing processes that inherently deplete forests, freshwater, air, animal welfare, and biodiversity. It appears that even recycled fossil-based alternatives are fading.
The topic of Next Gen Materials is as vast as the revolution it signals. Today I’ll discuss 3 key groupings harnessing nature's intelligence and paving the way for a future fashion industry that would embrace a no waste future, animal welfare, regenerative agriculture, carbon capture, circularity, and scientific innovation.
1- Regenerative, Bio-Based and Compatible with Legacy Machines
The World Bank’s Global Seaweed New and Emerging Markets Report 2023 has identified ten global seaweed markets with the potential to grow by an additional USD 11.8 billion by 2030. Seaweed-based, fossil fuel-free materials such as Keel Labs' Kelsun™, Austeja Platukyte's algae -based compostable packaging, and Vyld's healthy period products can significantly reduce environmental impact.
A key challenge has been the need for new manufacturing equipment. Kintra Fibers is a bio-based polyester - which claims a 95% emissions reduction versus traditional PET - can be manufactured on legacy equipment, cutting down a drastic prior barrier that used to require expensive manufacturing overhaul. Products such as Sway's recent 100% bio-based, home-compostable resin TPSea integrates with existing plastic manufacturing infrastructure as well.
Furthermore, Sway’s material is made from a species regenerative seaweed that restores underwater ecosystems. Next Gen innovators embed regenerative crops as a key feature. Ponda has developed BioPuff, a biodegradable, plant-based fibre made from regeneratively grown plants that sequester carbon. With a feather-like structure, BioPuff offers a sustainable alternative to traditional animal and petroleum-based insulation materials, with the same performance.
Natural Fiber Welding, a platform of plastic-free performance materials known for its ground-breaking materials such as MIRUM, CLARUS, and PLIANT, has partnered with Terra Genesis, a design firm focused on regenerative design. Terra Genesis works with agriculture, ecology, and business sectors to drive positive social and environmental change. Together, they have created a regenerative rubber material for footwear soles and other applications.
2-Food Waste, New Coatings, Carbon Capture And Living Colour
At Copenhagen Fashion Week, Ganni showed bags made in BioFluff’, a first of its kind 'plant-based' fur made from GMO-free agriculture crop-waste bi products of nettle, hemp, and flax fibres. Meanwhile, answering the need for carbon capture, Bioforcetech's OurCarbon can sequester carbon from agricultural, yard and food waste and wastewater solids to make carbon-neutral pigments, dyes, polymers, and concrete additives.
Kuori also upcycles food waste such as nut shells and banana skins into granules sold to manufacturers to turn into products such as shoe soles. Rubi is a bio-technology company focused on carbon capture and transformation, using natural enzymes to convert emissions into cellulose pulp, spun into fibres for fashion textiles. They became the first U.S. company to win H&M’s Global Change Award and secured a partnership with Walmart to trial their carbon capture technology with the US retail giant.
Your next dopamine dressing hit of colour might also come from a new source. Living Ink is algae based ink used in Nike’ in Nike's ISPA Mindbody and its creative and earth-friendly partnership with Billie Eilish. Octarine's microbially fermented colours provide an alternative to petroleum-based synthetic dyes using violacein and its derivatives to offer vibrant colours while integrating seamlessly into existing supply chains. Additionally, by binding directly to textiles without chemical additives, Octarine's process significantly reduces water, chemical and energy use from the dyeing equation.
3-DNA Cultured Leather
Modern Synthesis reimagined GANNI’s “Bou Bag” previously made from a mixture of recycled leather, polyurethane, recycled cotton, and polyester. With their 2025 to be released bacterial nanocellulose version, their best-selling product will now be a 100% sustainable and vegan alternative.
Possibly the most thought-provoking leather alternative is Qorium, dubbing itself as ‘Real leather, reinvented’. By biopsying cells from select cows and growing these cells in a lab to produce collagen, Qorium's process is technically the ‘real deal’. Although some may object to the bovine DNA aspect, Qorium’s cultured material product consumes 99% less water and 66% less energy than traditional leather, significantly reducing methane emissions from cattle farming.
Wrap up
These summarise the tangible building blocks of a no-waste and regenerative fashion future. A momentum I’ve witnessed grow in over a decade of covering fashion futures. A moral imperative drives this bio-industrial revolution, transforming how we produce fashion goods to create a new normal. The challenge lies in whether legislative or cultural change is more critical for the significant interest to transform into industry wide norm.
As our material world evolves, so must our perceptions of durability, performance, and luxury. And so must our legislation. We must protect innovative solutions from outdated policy and commerce. Brands should commit to long-term partnerships, develop supply chains, and educate consumers on genetic modification and lab-grown materials. Translating new manufacturing into new culture will help reshape fashion into the regenerative industry we know it can be. What are decision makers waiting for?
Read the issue available in stands in Japan
By Geraldine Wharry