Artist Report: Carole Collet

“She exists on a completely different plane of thought”

 “She exists 20 to 30, if not 50, years in the future”

–Caroline Till

SUBJECT: The biodesign mastermind Carole Collet is the Director of Sustainable Innovation and the Director of Design & Living Systems Lab at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts, London. Here she works tirelessly with her team to create innovations such as Biolace. They use synthetic biology to reengineer plants. The new improved organisms are multi-purpose factories that grow produce at the same time as growing fabrics from their roots. The intrecciate patterns that the roots create mimic the delicate weaves of lace while maintaining the dark natural color of plant roots. While the longevity of the textile is unknown, it could prove to be a useful tool in the future.

CONTENT: One interpretation is that fashion is constantly evolving and designers are always on the hunt for the next head-turning design. Biolace is not only head turning, but jaw dropping, and could take the fashion world by storm. Another view of Biolace is that it is the future of sustainable textiles. The new technology would combine food production with textile production. The plants would simultaneously replace the old textile producing machinery that used to emit pollutants, while cleansing the air we breath.