Redefining what “vegan” leather is

MFer del Toro
1 min readAug 10, 2020

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Bacteria Culture.

During the Master Degree in Design Through New Materials we worked in the grow of bacterial cellulose to got a bio-material in pale yellow translucent as natural and with vinegar smell. we experiment in the application of vegetal pigments to give a finishing in the final result.

The outcome is a flat base of bacteria grown on the top layer of the water. The material formed is thick, and shrinks after drying to become translucent sheet.
The ingredients to grow it are, water, vinegar, tea, sugar and yeast.
It is a biodegradable material with an environment healthy production. Three to four weeks are needed to grow, then it has to be dry.

It can be water soluble with a lack of strength but is a sustainable material that grows by itself. A sample of the final material can be used to grow your own bacterial culture at home.

Suzanne Lee in fashion design and Emma Sicher, experimenting with color and moldable packaging, both have been working in the develop of some essential applications.
One Application that I think bacteria could being used in large scale is for the bracelet production in a music fest.

Catalunya, Spain 2020.

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MFer del Toro
MFer del Toro

Written by MFer del Toro

I am a human looking for being respectful with nature an agent of change and industrial designer. born in Mexico City.