Are you a fan of the TV show, Project Runway? If you are a reality show junkie, chances are yes. So, do you remember in Season 1, the designers were challenged to go to the grocery store, pick up a few items and “make it work”? The winner of that challenge, Austin Scarlett, made a dress from corn husks, which was particularly innovative, and didn’t look half bad as it walked down the runway.
Anyway, it turns out researchers at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln are fabricating (haha, get it? fabricating?) new ways to make textile fibers from agricultural waste. Things like rice gluten, wheat straw and chicken feathers are being considered as the new alternatives to petroleum fibers.
According to this article, “petroleum-based nylons and polyesters make up 60 percent of the world’s textile fiber consumption. Producing such fabrics takes lots of energy and emits lots of greenhouse gases.”
OK, so it looks like there’s some interest in finding alternatives to petroleum fibers, which I wholeheartedly support. But are designers really using these alternatives?
Well, it turns out they are starting to. According to Time Magazine, things like bamboo, coconuts, corn, soy, and of course, hemp, are in stores today. Personally, I haven’t seen anything other than hemp, so I would be curious to know how these other products fare. Reader, leave a comment and let us know if you’ve come across any of these new alternative fabrics and where!
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