US (DE): Student converts mushrooms into useable fabric
This past summer, Silverman worked with fashion apparel design professor, Kelly Cobb, on an experimental design project that aimed to convert mushrooms into useable fabric.
The aim of this project was to find a way to make fabric more sustainable. Silverman explained that post-consumer waste is a huge issue in a world of fast fashion.
Silverman explained that Cobb got the idea of using mushrooms from a science fiction novel she was reading, in which the characters wore garments called “flimsies” solely for special occasions. The characters would throw them away and they would decompose completely.
Cobb expressed admiration for the naturalness of the science fiction world she encountered, pointing out the reuse of objects no longer needed.
Silverman explained that there has been a recent move towards sustainable fashion, which includes using sustainable cotton and limiting the amount of chemicals used in production. However, issues in sustainability are focused more on the production of material rather than the material itself.
Since this was the first time working with an idea like this, the aim of their summer project was to lay the groundwork for future research, which would enable Cobb to obtain grant money. Silverman spent the first week researching sustainable fashion, looking especially at what had been done with mycelium, which is the root structure of a mushroom. Companies have successfully used mycelium as a styrofoam replacement, as well as a building material.
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