Tracking Down Some Wine Fabric

Subject: FANTASTIC NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!SEE
BELOW!!!!!!!!
From: "cathy breslaw"
Date: Wed, September 15, 2010 6:11 pm
To: "melissa au" "nora kassajikian" "stacie taylor"

I SEARCHED AROUND AND FOUND THE GUY'S EMAIL ADDRESS WHO MAKES THE FABRIC FROM THE BACTERIA - SEE BELOW -

I AM GOING TO SEE HOW WE CAN ARRANGE TO GET SOME OF THE FABRIC! HE SEEMS REALLY APPROACHABLE -

I ASKED ABOUT SEEING IF WE CAN GET THE PROCESS OF HOW HE MAKES IT AND SEE IF WE CAN RECREATE THAT.

WE'LL SEE , BUT GOOD NEWS....

CATHY

From: Gary Cass

Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 2010 5:38 PM

To: cathy breslaw

Cc: donna franklin

Subject: RE: your project using bacteria of wine process into fabric

Hi Cathy

Thanks for the interest in our project. Yes the art side of the project has slowed over the last year as Donna has commenced her PhD and the project has taken on a more science focus.

We have processed the material and are now conducting scientific trials.

We have exhibited the project in different forms in Adelaide 2009 (thin light boxes with transparent images of the material on the body) and even at the FIDM in LA 2009. I have attached some images for you. We have been approached by a fashion museum in Belgium to exhibit the dress early next year.

Are you setting up an exhibition? We can certainly send you a piece of the material, however if you would like to freight the dress (we believe it to be the first dress in the world made from the bacterial ferment of red wine) in the barrel. Or a waist coat, that I so elegantly model, NOT! Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2RRCPmnKKQ at the end. This show was at ArtStays 2010 in Ptuj, Slovenia. We use the bacteria to skin the machine with the red wine material, engaging with the question – when will man become more machine like.

Check out our web page http://bioalloy.org/o/

Let me know what you would like and we will try our best to accommodate.

Cheers

Gary

Subject: Wine Fabric
From: "cathy breslaw"
Date: Mon, November 01, 2010 6:01 pm
To: "melissa au" "nora kassajikian" "stacie taylor"

Hi All

Today I received a few samples of the material made with wine.

I have no clue how to understand what they are! I asked my contact

for more clarification – I am sure he’ll answer my questions.

Nevertheless it was very exciting! As soon as I opened the package there

was a very stinky, kind of sour wine smell – interesting!

Anyhow, Stacie and I are planning to meet on Nov 16th later afternoon,

at my place.

We’ll keep you informed as to our progress, and if you are free and want

to meet with us, you are welcome to do so.

take care,cathy

Images of wine fabric ~ 12/2/10 ~ by Melissa Au

Fermented Fashion

Abstract from: http://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/11/1030/microbe-fermented-fashion-a-fabric-that-grows1.asp

Micro'be' fermented fashion: a fabric that grows….
A garment that forms itself without a single stitch!

By: Donna Franklin & Gary Cass

Imagine a fabric that grows ... a garment that forms itself without a single stitch!

The fashion that starts with a bottle of wine ...

The Micro 'be' project investigates the practical and cultural biosynthesis of microbiology - to explore forms of futuristic dress-making and textile technologies. Instead of lifeless weaving machines producing the textile, living microbes will ferment a garment. It smells like red wine and feels like sludge when wet, but the cotton-like cellulose dress fits snugly as a second skin. The material is very delicate, comprising micro-fibrils of cellulose. The colouration of the fabric will depend on the wine used, red wine - red fabric, white wine or beer - a translucent material. A fermented garment will not only rupture the meaning of traditional interactions with body and clothing; but will also examine the practicalities and cultural implications of commercialisation. [sic] This project redefines the production of woven materials. By combining art and science knowledge and with a little inventiveness, the ultimate goal will be to produce a bacterial fermented seamless garment that forms without a single stitch.

For full article: Fermented Fashion~A Fabric That Grows