Amy Congdon

What role will textile design play in the creation of biological products of the future? At some point in the not-too-distant future, biotechnology is going to give the designers the biggest set of complex new materials and tools they have ever had the opportunity to work with. As a critical design project, ‘Biological Atelier’ seeks to explore what these emerging living materials and tools will mean for design. What happens to textile skills such as embroidery, when working with tissue engineering?

The project envisions a world where materials are not made, they are grown – where new luxury materials are fashioned from cells, not fabrics.

The project considers the changing and blurring roles of the designer, the craftsman and the scientist in the biotechnological future – through the imagined couture atelier of year 2080. The project envisions a world where materials are not made, they are grown – where new luxury materials are fashioned from cells, not fabrics. What new material hybrids can we expect? What if we could manipulate our body to grow seasonal jewellery? Cosmetic surgery is replaced by tissue-engineered disposable grafted skin embellished with precious stones. Here we present the 2082 Autumn/Winter ‘Bio Nouveau’ skin collection from Biological Atelier. Cosmetic surgery has been replaced by tissue-engineered techniques to graft a living, disposable earring made of precious stones.

This work is part of a doctoral research project at Central Saint Martins College in collaboration with King’s College London.

Works:

Spring/Summer 2082, “Extinct” Collection: 1 Poisso-Crystal Collar, 2 Equivory & Nacrelass Brooch

Photography: 2 Shooters Photography, Hair & Make Up: Krystle Gohel

Autumn/Winter 2082, ”Bio Nouveau” Collection: 1 Corallium-Crystal Ear Piece, 2 Pytho-Sapien Spine Adornment

Dress: Ann-Kristin Abel, Photography: Jesús Madriñán, Hair & Make Up: Kat Vogart