Fruit skin fabric, mushroom ‘leather’, spider-silk, dye made by bacteria and algae; GROW, the new exhibition from the Fashion for Good Museum in Amsterdam explores the biomaterials and cutting-edge innovations that are shaping the sustainable future of fashion. What exactly are biomaterials? How sustainable are they and what makes them different from traditional fibres like cotton and hemp? And does bio always mean better and sustainable? Navigating the many different kinds of sustainable materials can be challenging. For their year-long exhibition, curated and developed in-house for the first time, the Fashion for Good Museum dives into all things biomaterials.
WHAT ARE BIOMATERIALS?
Biomaterial is a very generic word used to describe materials that are biological, and originate from living organisms. When you think of biomaterials, probably the first things that come to mind are cotton, hemp and linen. Because the word is not specific, it can easily be confusing. The world of biomaterials is way bigger and ever evolving. Think as big as silk, fruitskins (waste), mycelium (mushroom roots) or even algae, spider and caterpillar silk, cellulosics (coming from plants) and bioplastics, all of which are part of the biomaterials world.
LOVE FASHION FROM THE GROUND UP
Fashion has always celebrated the ingenuity of nature, from its organic shapes and patterns, materials and fibres, to the wide array of colours and textures. With the rise of fast fashion, the natural world is plundered for its resources, putting the relationship between fashion and nature under strain.
The GROW expo shows how trailblazing innovations can instead take inspiration from nature and how scientists are using this cycle of creation and recreation to make the sustainable materials of the future.
Showcasing conventional biomaterials such as organic cotton and biodegradable materials such as flax or hemp, the expo also presents more innovative brands and products from pioneers such as Pangaia (available for the first time in a retail store in the Netherlands), FREITAG F-ABRIC, the Nude Label, Phool, Bananatex and Bioglitz - with a special glitter station, featuring in the museum’s GOOD SHOP.
GROW 1.0 opens its door to the public from April 6th.
Virtual tours of the exhibition can be booked on the website.
Physical visits to the museum can be reserved when possible.
