Animation: Ellis van der Does

Bio-Inspired Textiles is an interdisciplinary research project that sits at the intersection of biology, material science and textile design to enhance sustainable and circular practice. Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council as part of the Leadership Fellows scheme, the project maps how design intersects with scientific disciplines and explores the ways biology can teach designers to do more with limited resources.

​

Drawing on the research by Professor Julian Vincent, Dr Steven Naleway and their respective teams, the Bio-Inspired Textiles project focuses on how role of structure in biology could help us improve the efficiency, longevity, and recovery of the resources (substance and energy) we use to create textile products. 

In collaboration with over forty eight designer-makers we developed the Bio-Inspired Textiles framework. Centred around eight structures found in biology, the makers experimented using a wide range of textile techniques and the work they created are now inspirational case studies for other designers, using their own techniques to engage in the Bio-Inspired Textiles approach. 

​