Hiroto Ikebe's leather-based different from silk cocoon waste
A current pores and skin different arrives within the type of woven silk cocoon waste. It’s a analysis product of Hiroto Ikebe, and the Japanese designer offered his findings via the COCOON ANATOMY exhibition throughout DESIGNART Tokyo 2024. Right here, he shows clothes to display that silk supplies which might be often thrown away or not used for mass manufacturing can nonetheless be repurposed into multi-use materials and supplies.
pictures by Yasunari Kikuma ©︎ Trend Frontier Program, courtesy of Hiroto Ikebe
The fibers come up from the carding of uncooked silk, kibiso and degara cocoons
Within the COCOON ANATOMY exhibit, the leather-based alternate options come from uncooked silk, the fabric that has not been totally processed or refined; kibiso, the outer layer of silk thread, which is usually coarse; and naked cocoons, people who is probably not ideally suited for conventional silk manufacturing however nonetheless have fibers that can be utilized in manufacturing. Hiroto Ikebe topics them to carding, or the method of separating and mixing the fibers of every materials collectively.
The designer she weaves all of them into nature-inspired patterns and patches the filaments along with different supplies to supply a gown and a hat. He says they’ve comparable properties to leather-based by way of texture, sturdiness and flexibility. Silk cocoon waste can then be a viable different to leather-based, plus it may possibly assist scale back the disposal of shells in landfills. He hopes the exhibition can make clear new strategies and approaches to sericulture, or the manufacturing of uncooked silk and the act of rearing silkworms.
Hiroto Ikebe's leather-based different comes from silk cocoon waste
Upgrading sericulture with silk waste as a substitute for leather-based
Within the exhibit, there are two essential objects that may showcase the potential of reweaving silk cocoon waste as a substitute for leather-based. The primary is the helmet gown, as talked about above. The second is somewhat the show of combined fibers from uncooked silk cocoons, kibiso and degara, the “uncooked” product of the carding course of.
Right here, viewers can see the sinuous materiality of the fibers, which might then be combined with different parts to create materials and items of fabric for equipment and different purposes. Hiroto Ikebe hopes that by modernizing sericulture, a follow in decline in Japan, in line with the designer, silk cocoon waste will get a second life and never simply be thrown away.
element view of woven silk cocoon waste as a leather-based different
Hiroto Ikebe presents his analysis within the COCOON ANATOMY exhibition at DESIGNART Tokyo 2024
uncooked materials of rewoven silk cocoon waste
Hiroto Ikebe weaves silk cocoon waste to supply a gown and hat