GOLD – textiles made of collagen
WINT Design Lab
As part of a research initiative, the GOLD project investigated goldbeater’s skin, a type of tissue found in cow gut. This elastic membrane was characterized biochemically to develop a recyclable, bio-based and vegan high-performance textile. A lightweight rain jacket illustrates the characteristics of goldbeater’s skin. The special qualities of the material allow the development of a mono material minus any additives and direct recycling to feedstock.
Award winner 2023 in the category »Konzept«»GOLD plays with the characteristics of goldbeater’s skin, a tissue from a cow’s stomach. As an alternative to petroleum-based materials, this is a biodegradable, vegan and therefore highly attractive material. The specimen used to present it is a lightweight, water-repellent outdoor jacket, which is outstanding for its splendidly clear design. Gold is innovative, relevant, and well designed.«
Prof. em. Anna Berkenbusch
Three questions for Felix Rasehorn, Co-Founder
How did the idea for GOLD – Textiles Made of Collagen come about?
The idea for the project emerged in conjunction with biotech startup Mimotype Technologies. From a biological perspective, the characteristics of goldbeater’s skin are impressive. Its historical use in the making of gold leaf lent the membrane its name. We were interested in reinterpreting the material’s characteristics and putting them to good use in today’s world. This also includes the textiles industry with its well-documented problems caused by petroleum-based production, the resulting microplastics, and lack of yarn recyclability.
What was your personal highlight in the GOLD – Textiles Made of Collagen development process? Was there a low point?
As a research project, it was very ambitious. However, thanks to the hard work of the partners involved, we reached our goals. One of the highlights was definitely when the jacket emerged and demonstrated the results. But the subsequent technological validation of the concept also deserves mention. It took until the validation and demonstration of the concept for the project to gain momentum and it’s now being continued.
Where do you see your project in the next five years?
In technological terms, the GOLD project focuses on the biological material properties. In the next few years, bio-technological reproduction will be validated in another research project. In future development phases, our mission is to achieve a biologically mature product in the form of a rain jacket with a strong aesthetic and that’s sound in technical and ecological terms.
