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FABULOUS FUNGI BY ILSE KREMER Explore these innovative projects at the Sustainable Innovations Forum in the Keyhouse in Hall 7
Due to the extensive use of harmful chemicals in the fashion industry, synthetic textile dyes are a significant threat to sustainability. They contribute to water pollution as dye residues enter factory wastewater and rivers and can even lead to serious health issues for people handling them. Additionally, synthetic dyeing processes require substantial use of water and energy. Ilse Kremer, the mastermind behind “Fabulous Fungi”, addresses these issues by utilizing fungi to create sustainable textile dyes.
»Fabulous Fungi employs fungi in order to create sustainable and safe textile dye. Fungi use biochemical processes to produce pigments, making the impact different from fossil-based heat and extraction processes.«
Ilse Kremer, the mastermind behind “Fabulous Fungi”, addresses these issues by utilizing fungi to create sustainable textile dyes. “Fungi use biochemical processes to produce pigments, making the impact different from fossil-based heat and extraction processes,” explains Ilse. This approach uses no harmful chemicals and requires much less water. The fungal pigments, which form the basis of these textile dyes, are biodegradable, ensuring that any remnants in wastewater do not pollute water sources. Furthermore, they are completely safe for both the workers handling them and consumers wearing the dyed garments, eliminating associated health risks.
Fungal dyes thus offer numerous advantages over synthetic dyes and other alternatives and present a promising solution to the environmental and health challenges posed by traditional textile dyeing methods.
Modularity is not a new concept. For decades, it has shaped architecture, furniture and industrial design. Applying it to soft textiles, however, opens up an entirely new discussion.
Creativity and curiosity have always been our driving force. Our work evolves through prototypes—never finished, always raising new questions about materials, processes, and possibilities.
Both the fashion and textile industry often celebrates creativity. Yet many of the industry’s creative decisions are made long before a designer ever begins designing. Colour being one of them. The thing is, by the time a designer selects yarn, someone else has already determined the available colours, sequences and combinations. Choice exists, but only within boundaries.
“Through hands-on experimentation, I explore the potential of new surfaces and alternative forms of leather, aiming to reconnect human life with the natural world as an interconnected fabric.”
