Dress made of red wine

March 15th, 2007

If you’re the type of person to worry about spilling red wine down that new dress, fear no more. Scientists have recently succeeded in creating outfits from red wine and other booze, using bacteria to turn fermented drinks into sheets of slimy material.

Researchers at the University of Western Australia worked on the Mirco’be’ project to encourage interest in the field. Noticing that a rubbery layer would grow on vats of wine when exposed to air, Gary Cass was inspired to apply the same process to create a wearable material. The fabric itself is made of cellulose, and is produced by aerobacter bacteria as a byproduct of converting wine into vinegar.

Vats of wine were deliberately allowed to spoil, and strips of cellulose were laid onto inflatable dolls. Once the dress was complete, the doll was deflated, leaving the dress intact. The bacterial action ensured the fibres were bound together, meaning that no stitching or sewing was necessary.

If you’re looking at the picture and wondering why anyone would want to look like a banshee wearing a singlet made from the stomachs of calves, do not be alarmed. The project is one of art as much as science, and the image represents a proof of concept. The model is made up to look like a cave woman emerging from a “primordial swamp”. There’s more than meets the eye though – the dress itself must be kept wet at all times, as it becomes brittle and tears easily once dry. This is due to the short length of the cellulose fibres. The team plan to collaborate with organic chemists to find a way to polymerise the fibres of cellulose enough to make a useable fabric.

The researchers hope that one day the technique will be used to grow seamless garments.

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