Biobased polymer fiber outfits romp in fashion show
17 Jul '06
2 min read
An international biotech conference was held in Toronto along with a fashion show in an attempt to 'make green sexy', wherein several Models wearing designer clothes made from fermented corn sugar made public appearance.
Renowned designers Oscar de la Renta, Stephen Burrows, Elisa Jimenez and others created some unique outfits and demonstrated in the show.
Natureworks, a subsidiary of US-based agribusiness giant Cargill Inc, is the first company to use biodegradable polymers produced from renewable resources for commercial products and has branded its PLA fiber as Ingeo.
Christopher Ryan, chief technology officer of Natureworks LLC, the maker of the "biobased" fiber, stated, there were three steps to get from the corn sugar to the polymer, which is used to make the clothing.
Initially, sugar is fermented into lactic acid, then that is converted into lactide, which is converted into PLA, or polymer within a few hours.
PLA polymer is most commonly used as a plastic in packaging for environmentally friendly products, but can also be used as a versatile fiber that can be made to have the appearance of silk, polyester, leather or elastic.
At the fashion show, other dresses presented included a men's transparent dress shirt, a hooded pink floral fleece sweater, a blue blazer and a strapless black dress.
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