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LAB TO LOOM

Lotte Plumb

Profile picture of Lotte Plumb

Lotte is a fashion-focused biodesigner. With a particular interest in systems and materiality, her design process considers the impact of her work from a holistic perspective.

During her time on the program, Lotte has explored an array of traditional and innovative practices. Most notably; bacterial cellulose biofabrication, natural dyeing, zero waste pattern cutting, weaving, bioremediation strategies and regenerative design principles.

In the future, she hopes to be able contribute to a more environmentally and socially conscious industry.

Lotte is a fashion-focused biodesigner. With a particular interest in systems and materiality, he...

Jeans are among the most widely worn items of clothing in the world. Their beauty is in the detail - a flared leg, a shaped pocket, an extra line of stitching. They embody history, craftsmanship, industrialisation, and innovation. They are simultaneously universal and personal.

Since their conception over 150 years ago, their classic design has barley changed. What has, is the way they are consumed. The result of over consumption is devastating. Poor working conditions, soil degradation, pollution of water ways and thousands of tonnes of textile waste.

It is estimated that over 3.5 billion pairs of jeans are produced every year. 

'Lab to Loom' is a bacterial re-imagination of denim. It challenges denim as we know it today - as a fabric, an industry and a symbol of modern day materialism - and speculates whether microorganisms can lay the foundation for a new kind of system. One that has the potential to utilise agricultural waste as a feedstock, reduce land use and remove the reliance on pesticides and toxic chemicals.

Would you wear a pair of jeans produced by bacteria?

Final work

A closeup of a material swatch.
  • An image of two scientific flasks containing each element of the project.
  • A microscopic image of a twisted yarn.
  • Microscopic image of weave.
Image of drop spindle.

Tradition and Innovation

This project encapsulates a multidisciplinary and multi-species approach to a textile innovation.

At the core of this work, is a unique collaboration between maker and bacteria. In the lab, specialised techniques are used to produce a strong, long filament and a rich blue pigment. These components are then brought together to form an indigo coloured yarn - the foundation for a bacterial denim. 

In the studio, traditional garment making techniques are utilised to spin and weave the yarns into intricate swatches. When placed into the form of pair of jeans - a garment worn by millions of people all over the world - this unconventional material becomes familiar and understandable beyond just the textile industry. 

Research and process

  • Close- up of weaving.
  • Petri dish with bacteria growth.
  • Microscopic Image of bacteria growth.
Series of woven swatches.

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LAB TO LOOM

Jeans are among the most widely worn items of clothing in the world. Their beauty is in the detail - a flared leg, a shaped pocket, an extra line of stitching. They embody history, craftsmanship, industrialisation, and innovation. They are simultaneously universal and per...

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