Kintsugi; Exploring the form-giving potential of knit-bacterial cellulose biocomposites in the context of footwear.

Present times are ablaze with environmental change, with fashion being no stranger to controversy as it struggles not only with keeping up with market demand, but making material production more efficient. Living materials and biocomposites, due to being easy, relatively inexpensive and quick to produce offer a biodegradable alternative to traditional, non-reusable materials, particularly in the fields of footwear and accessories, which demand a wider scope of textures and component types. 'Kintsugi' speculates how bacterial cellulose in combination with knitted structures can occupy a prominent place in fashion and design thinking by visually discussing the morphology and role of volume as conforming components intended to develop footwear prototypes. By including stiff elements into the concept narrative, what is object and dress is challenged and offers an insight into what they could be and how they could become, as well as questioning existing making methods.