Biocouture's biomaterial can be grown in a vat filled with a sugary green tea solution using a kombucha culture. Once the layer of microbial cellulose is sufficiently thick, it is harvested, washed and allowed to dry. After the water evaporates it resembles a vegetable leather. Image courtesy Biocouture.

What might our clothes look like in 50 years? Textile designer Suzanne Lee thinks the answer lies far beyond the traditional borders of fashion design. She’s experimenting with making materials from living organisms. Might we really wear a bustier made of bacteria? Lee makes her case.


Maya Penn is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, fashion designer, animator, blogger, writer and illustrator. She runs a budding eco-friendly fashion business and a nonprofit for environmental awareness, and her mind churns constantly with new creative projects. Oh, and she’s only 13.