Path Breakers—Path Finders: Suzanne Lee
Suzanne Lee
© Sharon Radisch
“Nobody in fashion was talking about biotechnology 20 years ago. Is it possible to grow clothing using bacteria? Clearly, it is. However, having that conversation with the fashion industry and with investors made me come across as a complete crazy lady.”
As part of the UCRF initiative ‘Path Breakers — Path Finders’ series celebrate the many voices who have inspired and guided the work of change in systems of fashion making, we want to include Suzanne Lee. Thank you to UCRF member Anne Whiting for nominating Lee.
Suzanne Lee is a leading pioneer in fashion textile biotechnology — that is, growing textiles using biology and microbiology, instead of using plants, animals, and oil. Lee is the celebrated co-founder and CEO of BIOFABRICATE, a research and consulting hub promoting these advances in biotechnology and raw materials for fashion, the author of Fashioning the Future: Tomorrow’s Wardrobe, and advisor to Parley For The Oceans on biomaterials. In 2011, she gave her first TED Talk, “Grow your own clothes,” which showcased the viability of making clothing out of kombucha.
In 2002, she was a fashion designer when her research role at Central Saint Martins led her to a “biocouture” project and book commission about the future of fashion. “I'm a sci-fi fan. I wanted to take a 50-year view,” she explains. “What will fashion be made from, and how will we fabricate it in the decades to come?” To understand these yet-to-be-invented materials and manufacturing processes, Lee educated herself about synthetic biology, cellular agriculture, and fermentation.
“Back then, the sustainability agenda wasn't as urgent as it is today. It was a very academic conversation.” Since then, major innovations in biotech have sprung up, from Spiber threads to innovations with mycelium. More years and another TED Talk later, Lee’s conviction is fact, that biomaterials are proven alternatives to any over-extracting of certain resources still taking place in the industry. We can work with the Earth to produce beautiful, sustainable textiles. The next question is how to get the industry to embrace a shift toward this truth in culture and practice. – Anne Whiting, upcycler and Pulitzer Center fellow, a concerned researcher in fashion
Visit Biofabricate’s material learning lab for more knowledge sharing and educational resources.
Guided by our Manifesto, UCRF is committed to amplifying diverse voices and perspectives. Our goal is to foster an activist knowledge ecology and lead critical debates on fashion's systemic challenges. While we do not endorse a single viewpoint, we seek to offer a platform for varied ideas that inspire further dialogue and inquiry.