GUODA TRECIOKAITE

Kombutex is an interdisciplinary project that was born from the desire to create more circular material solutions in the fashion industry. It explores biobased alternatives to synthetics and leather in the textiles industry. Taking inspiration from nature, it looks at how bacterial cellulose and biobased polymers can be combined and processed to create fully biodegradable textiles... The textiles industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. Largely petroleum-based, textile products end up in landfills or the ocean at the end of their lifecycle where they take hundreds of years to biodegrade, shed microplastics into the environment, and exhibit toxic effects. Exploring nature-based innovations is necessary for both environmental and social reasons, helping us to achieve more holistic solutions in our production ecosystems and value chains. Although we are exhibiting a product, the ethos of the project is to explore and promote biomimicry - a nature-inspired approach..