Morphotex
Morphotex is an exciting development in biomimicry relating to sustainability as it is a fibre than has colour but does not need to be dyed. Teijin Japan developed this fibre; they are a company dedicated to developing chemical technologies that are friendly towards people and the environment through the provision of material solutions. Morphotex takes it’s inspiration and name from the Morpho butterfly, that has this amazing bright blue colour without containing any pigment. It does this by having microscopic overlapping scales that sync with certain wavelengths of light and emitting others.
Morphotex works in a very similar way, containing nylon and polyester, arranged in alternating layers that reflect, refract and scatter the light in a way that makes it appear this iridescent grey blue with no pigment involved.
This way of producing colour without the need for dye is an important innovation aiding sustainability as traditional dying processes are one of the causes of the large water consumption of the textiles industry and the waste water is often not treated correctly, particularly in developing countries, contaminating local water supplies and causing harm to everything that inhabits the water it is getting into.
Donna Sgro is a designer that has created this dress from Morphotex. “The ability for fashion to create meaningful ways for scientific innovation to be translated for the general public is something that the experience of travelling this dress has taught me. That a dress can inspire conversation about science and innovation and the ways it impacts our daily lives is a source of inspiration to my research practice.”
I think this is something currently important in this field of materials development, more people need to find out about the research and the benefits it could have on our daily lives if employed by more current designers.
http://www.donnasgro.com/Morphotex-Dress
http://www.ecouterre.com/morphotex-dress-mimics-butterfly-wing-shimmer-without-any-dyes/