Danish fashion brand Ganni and materials company Polybion have unveiled a jacket made from bacterial cellulose, an alternative to leather. Presented at Copenhagen’s Global Fashion Summit in July 2023, this jacket became a symbol of the growing movement towards sustainable fashion, which is essential for the ‘healthy state’ of our planet.
Many brands are experimenting with sustainable alternatives to leather, such as mycelium samples. But the new material made from bacteria has already surpassed it. It is strong, lightweight, and has a texture similar to leather. To create the blazer, the bacteria were fed mango fruit waste from the agricultural industry, which caused the organism to convert the sugar into cellulose. An organic element was then extracted and processed into a material that could be used to create the garment. A yellow bacterial cellulose membrane was made to look like cowhide. The blazer’s unusual and captivating print and texture add a touch of vibrancy to its classic and elegant design, which is further enhanced by the silver buttons.
The development of the bacterial cellulose jacket is a significant milestone for the fashion industry. It demonstrates that it is possible to create high-quality, sustainable apparel alternatives to leather.
All photography courtesy of POLYBION
