Fungi Fabrics and Living Colors: Toward Ecocentric Biodesign?

Abstract

This article argues for a shift toward more ecocentric, rather anthropocentric, biodesign processes for clothing and textile design. It discusses mainstream understandings of biomimicry and biodesign, rethinking these approaches in a more-than-human and ecocentric direction. The article analyzes the cases of mycelium-based garments and bacterial textile dyes to, on the one hand, show how current biodesigners are already successfully working with natural resources by growing, collaborating with, regenerating, and restoring nature. On the other hand, these two cases are used to show the potential for biodesign practices to move even further beyond a human-centered understanding of designing with nature.