The Itsy Bitsy Spiber...

 The Itsy Bitsy Spiber...

                  I am afraid of these creepy crawlers that hide their webs to secretly catch their prey. So I make no pretense that I will be talking about spiders or even the Itsy Bitsy cute little one that we all know that creeps up and down the water spout. Although spider webs intrigue me for their natural design,I know that lurking just behind one  will be that scary spider.

The Spiber  Web

By now you may be thinking that I have not used spellcheck or that I am so terrified of the spider I am avoiding the correct spelling. I am  just baiting you ...creating my own web to catch your interest. Scary or not, there is an  incredible Japananese company  that creates fiber and fabric by mimmicking the DNA of a spiders web.

Spiber Inc.- founded in 2014 

https://vimeo.com/141755563 This video introduces Spiber Inc. and since they explain the technicalities better than I would, I recommend that you watch this innovative short video. 

My main interest is to find designers who imagine this miracle fiber into a really cool fabric and garment design.

Cheryl Hayashi held a seminar on Ted Talks about using spider DNA. This video is about 15 minutes long so you may not have time to watch it now but she  explains how there are  many different types of webs a spider can produce such as the web itself or the transport line( we have all seen that spider move up and down their transport line.

https://www.ted.com/talks/cheryl_hayashi_the_magnificence_of_spider_silk?utm_campaign=tedspread--b&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

Vegan lifestyles  will not wear silk products because the silkworm is destroyed right after the completion of its cocoon. However more recently Peace Silk came about in answer to using silk the most humane way possible.In either case both silk worms are held  in captivity and cultivated regardless of which one lives or not.

Spider silk has the same great properties of the silk worm, incredible tensile strength, warming and cooling, beautiful shine and so much more ....so why aren't spider silk wedding dresses made annually since we know that the spider uses the filament for web making and not for a metamorphosis process

Spiders are considered cannibals and they can not leave peacefully side by side so it is impossible to cultivate spider silk. So Spiber created man made silk fiber that has the same DNA as spider silk.

"Synthetic spider silk could be the biggest technological advance in clothing since nylon"

 "The North Face Japan and biotech start-up Spiber unveiled the Moon Parka in the U.S. — a novelty item being touted as the world’s first prototype created with Spiber’s synthetic spider silk material Qmonos using existing industrial manufacturing equipment. It serves as physical incarnate of Spiber’s bioengineered proteins mimicking spider silk and the first step toward commercial production of the sustainable fiber."

Other companies are also producing similar fibers using the same bio medical methods. Bolt Threads is partnering with Patagonia and Stella McCartney

"Bolt Threads debuts its first product, a $314 tie made from spiderwebs"

 "Your Next Patagonia Jacket Could Comprise Yeast-Engineered Silk"

http://www.ecouterre.com/your-next-patagonia-jacket-could-comprise-yeast-engineered-silk/bolt-threads-patagonia-1/

"British fashion designer Stella McCartney, long known for her focus on sustainability, is teaming up with San Francisco-based Bolt Threads, a biotechnology company dedicated to creating the next generation of advanced materials.

The duo will together pursue the next chapter in innovative luxury fabrications in a bid to reduce the fashion industry’s reliance on petrochemicals and damage to the environment."

"Today we’re thrilled to announce a partnership with Stella McCartney, a world-renowned brand known for its dedication to eco-innovation. We’ll be unveiling our first collaborative product, a one-of-a-kind custom dress made entirely of Bolt Microsilk™ at the New York Museum of Modern Art’s upcoming exhibit “Items: Is Fashion Modern?” opening October 1st" As soon as It is unveiled I will update this blog ...I can't wait to see this dress!

The Bolt Microsilk™ yarn that will be used to make the shift dress

SPIDEY SENSE

Adidas’ new bioengineered sneaker has potential to be as strong as steel, and it’s entirely sustainable

Bye, Bye Scary Spider