Biofabricated textiles are setting a new benchmark for conscious fashion.
The unspoken rule at fashion exhibitions is to look, not touch – yet at the Mindful Fashion NZ Circular Design Awards at Webb’s Auction House, one corner had guests leaning closer for a sniff.
The item of interest was a black handbag made from SCOBY leather, a kombucha by-product, dyed with indigo and reinforced with rescued merino fibres and reusable metal hardware.
The bag had a definite fermented aroma, not unlike the scent that lingers after a beer spill which makes it a work in progress, yet it was exciting to see what is possible in the area of sustainable biomaterial innovation.
It was the centrepiece accessory of Mima Lewis Gourdie’s entry “Circular Blueprint” which garnered her the Rising Talent Award for her well-considered, resourceful and fashion forward approach.
She made the SCOBY leather herself which entailed eight months of growth, testing and research. “SCOBY leather is preexisting, but with my prototype I wanted to illustrate potential commercial applications,” says Gourdie.
Mima Lewis Gourdie’s award winning design – striped shirt and trouser set and a cyanotyped calico coat embellished with pre-consumer fur offcuts and deadstock lining, accessorised with a handbag made from SCOBY leather. Photography Matt Hurley, styling Dan Ahwa, hair and make-up Kiekie Stanners. Model Charlee from Unique Models.
Introducing Spiber
Brewed Protein™ by Spiber is a new commercial fibre from Japan that’s made using a fermentation process (not unlike brewing your favourite kombucha). This innovative textile is made from sugarcane and has the luxurious feel of cashmere or silk and is definitely not whiffy.
Untouched World debuted Aotearoa’s first use of Brewed Protein™ by Spiber at New Zealand Fashion Week.
Brewed Protein™ fibres are crafted to be scaleless, meaning they’re less likely to pill and stay smoother over time. They also offer low prickliness, making them gentle on the skin. And thanks to their protein structure, they naturally absorb and release moisture, offering breathable comfort with every wear. Like silk and wool, it also biodegrades naturally.
Untouched World premiered garments made from Brewed Protein by Spiber at New Zealand Fashion Week 2025. Photography Radlab
Brewed buttons
In Australia Perth biotechnology startup Uluu has created buttons made from fermenting seaweed with saltwater microbes, in a process similar to brewing beer.
The result is a material that behaves like traditional plastic but is completely biodegradable and doesn’t shed microplastics. Luxury sleepwear brand Papinelle has just teamed up with Uluu, using the buttons for its latest collection.
Papinelle has teamed up with Uluu and using buttons made from fermented seaweed.
“These buttons may be small,” says Dr Julia Reisser, co-founder and co-CEO of Uluu, “but they represent a major leap in how fashion can rethink materials.”
Advances in biofabrication are proving that sustainable innovation can go beyond recycling. By cultivating new materials through fermentation, mycelium growth, and microbial engineering, fashion may one day eliminate its reliance on fossil fuels and animal products entirely.
Though still in their infancy, biofabricated fibres point to a future where fashion no longer extracts from nature, but grows alongside it.
