| FLOURISHING FIBERS |
NETTLE
NETTLE
SCRAPING A PINEAPPLE LEAF
What about some delicious banana fiber? Like piña, banana fiber originates from Southeast Asia but is gaining rapid fame in other banana-growing countries like Ecuador. The raw materials come from the stem that farmers leave in the garden after a banana harvest. Different layers of the stem yield fibers for specific uses: the outer layers can be hand-knotted into silk-like Nepalese rugs while the inside layers can be used for the finest Japanese kimonos. To see how banana fiber finds its way to contemporary design, take a look at the outdoor collection of German designer Caroline Raffauf and the marvelous creations of Filipino designer Dita Sandico Ong. Stepping away from the fruit bowl, we went to discover what else is out there on the natural fiber market. We then encountered the grey area of “natural man-made fibers” such as viscose, rayon, lyocell, modal, lenpur (from wood pulp) and bamboo to which we devoted our China issue a few months back. All these fibers are of cellulose origin and created in a technical process that is not always as environmental friendly as we think. The excellent Organic Clothing Blog offers several educational articles on these so-called regenerated fibers. Within that same category we find fibers of protein origin such as soy, corn (Ingeo), peanut and even milk fiber (yes, we’re back to the edibles)! To create this fiber, liquid milk is dried and its proteins extracted. The separated proteins are then dissolved in a chemical solution and placed into a machine that essentially whirls the fibers together. They can then be spun into yarn and woven into fabric. Milk fabric holds dye, is breathable and it captures moisture to make skin hydrated and smooth as if you just stepped out of a milk bath. Eager to get that sensation? Take a look at Corsican label Machja, which offers a range of casual chic basics in this fabric. 
BANANA LEAF WRAP BY DITA SANDICO ONG
If you feel inspired by all these innovative fibers and you can't wait to get your hands on them, check out these books on the subject: The Natural Knitter or Alt Fiber, the new book by Shannon Okey, with instructions on how to knit these fibers to create your own eco-chic sweater. Finally, don’t miss our glossary, where you can read more about all these exciting fibers!
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Comments (7)
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written by mark, February 16, 2009
I'm pretty impressed by the bannana leaf wrap. how strong are the fibres? I think the large platelet look is great.
Fashion
written by charley, April 01, 2009
where is it possible to buy fabrics made out of nettle/ banana leaf etc? it would be ideal to know so i could use some of these fabrics in my fashion final major project as i'm looking into fair trade/organic materials etc. :) any suggestions?
stinging nettles? really!
written by RemyC, May 25, 2009
wow
stinging nettles? having been exposed to them as a kid, and regularly being burned, i wonder how this can actually be used as a practical crop? it's not just the hands that would need protection in the case of such an exploitation, but the eyes, lungs and entire body. i'm really curious how this can be warranted as a sustainable opportunity. this plant in the wild is a weed, which many have found to be highly toxic. what do you use to remove its poison once spun into fiber? this seems very odd to me. i'm concerned about the air quality around the cultivation area and the spread of nettle pollen would create a vast infestation. none of this is explained on their website. this is equivalent to a company here in america saying they were now producing fabric from poison ivy!!!
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written by Em, October 08, 2009
Nettle is one of the first fibers humans have used. During the war time Europe the soldiers uniforms were made of them instead of cotton. The hot stings comes from the leaves. The fiber comes from the stem that is first fermented or otherwise handled to extract fibers. The process is wery similar to the linen. The fiber itself is much softer than linen.
banana fiber supplier
written by nova manuel, February 23, 2010
im interested in banana fiber in philippines ..here is my mobile no.639163981921..and my emailadd
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Banana Fiber written by kala, March 30, 2011
Hi,
We are the banana fiber manufacturer from India for any requirements or queries pls contact ++91 9500172957 or write to us This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Write comment
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