Artist Carolina De Lara’s project Bacterial Brickbats reimagines the relationship between man and nature in fashion design through the use of bacterial cellulose and knitted textiles. The concept is to redefine traditional design processes by allowing both the designer and the living material to influence the final outcome. De Lara explores how bacterial cellulose, a naturally occurring material, interacts with textiles to create new, dynamic forms that challenge human-centred fashion practices.
By focusing on this collaboration, the project emphasises the balance between biological intelligence and creative intent, and demonstrates the potential of BC to shape fashion in more than human contexts. The project’s connection to fashion and ecology lies in its promotion of regenerative economies and slow fashion, with De Lara highlighting the importance of sustainable and mindful design processes. Technically, the project includes a material library that catalogues bacterial cellulose’s interaction with textiles, focusing on transparency, texture and light as key design elements.
The Bacterial Brickbats project encourages further research into these sustainable methods and offers a new perspective on textile design rooted in ecological collaboration.
All images courtesy of CAROLINA DE LARA
