Let's start the new Leather & Luxury column, a journey to discover innovative materials, techniques and processes, with the supervision of the designer Bettina Grampa.
Today the focus will be on: Bark fabrics - Nature on.
Bettina's first step was the search for a raw material of which about 60 million tons remain unused every year but which has numerous possibilities of application in the fashion industry.
This is the idea behind The Bark Project, the study by German researchers Johanna Hehemeyer-Cürten and Charlett Wenig, made possible by the Max-Planck-Institute for Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam. According to the research, the bark can be flexed, pressed or transformed into pigment in an environmentally friendly way, thus opening up numerous application possibilities, including in the field of fashion and interior design.
Elasticity also plays an important role in fashion applications. It can be achieved by applying certain weaving techniques, in particular twill weaving (used for denim).
"The bark has a great resistance to traction in the direction of the grain - the researchers explain -: through weaving, thin strips of bark are reconnected transversely, so as to minimize the risk of tearing." The visual result is unique, given by the special structure of the bark and its deep chromatic range.
Find out more https://www.charlett-wenig.de/the-bark-project
Credits:
Photo 1: Larissa Schäffer; Copyright: Larissa Schäffer, Johanna Hehemeyer-Cürten
Photo 2: Patrick Walter; Copyright: Max-Planck-Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (MPICI)
Photo 3: Marie Fleur Borger; Copyright: Johanna Hehemeyer-Cürten
