Alistair Holloway

This study assesses the potential role bio-based materials have to play as an emerging form of circular innovation for the contemporary fashion industry, within the wider context of an environmental emergency.

Specifically, it explores how organisational structures and approaches towards the adoption of technologies allow businesses to harness and manage innovation as a methodological process, and assesses the benefits, limitations and barriers to adoption currently experienced by biomaterial innovations.

It is the author’s hope that through the highlighting of garments that can be grown alongside or implemented with biological and naturally living materials such as bacteria, yeast and even mould, as well as their convoluted processes and development techniques, conversations around the way in which the fashion system can begin to grow and adapt to incorporate these practices can be considered, alongside the acknowledgement and understanding of the complex, industry-wide problems that are temporarily halting their adoption into the mainstream consciousness.