FISHSKINLAB - Palomino, E. Defeo, G. (2019) Material Design Research - Fish skin, a new environmental -friendly material for fashion. Design Research for Change. Design Museum, London ISBN 978-1-86220-369-3

Palomino, E. Defeo, G. (2019) Material Design Research - Fish skin, a new environmental -friendly material for fashion. Design Research for Change. Design Museum, London ISBN 978-1-86220-369-3

This paper explores the material design innovation process during a cross-disciplinary project

working with fish leather. The Fishskinlab project aims to generate a deeper understanding of fish

leather as an alternative to conventional leather to encourage more sustainable fashion practices.

The objective is to create aesthetically relevant fish leather products that illuminate sustainability

thinking as a driver for innovation. The project looks at the strategies implemented by practice in

the field of material design innovation fed by new technologies, addressing changes in interactions

between humans and with our environments.

The research draws on findings gathered through a partnership between the researcher, the

Icelandic tannery Atlantic Leather and the Italian analytical laboratory Ars Tinctoria connecting

fashion designers, scientists and leather technicians from the UK, Italy, and Iceland to advance

material innovation by using new technology (water-based ink digital printing methods) on fish

leather. This led to the development of a collection of digitally printed fish leather bags.

The skins were sourced at Atlantic leather, the researcher developed the prints and followed

the technical process while the digital printing was produced and tested at the Italian analytical

laboratory Ars Tinctoria.

This paper presents the journey of the mapping process, illustrating the key stages of the research,

which led to the discovery of new material properties and finishes applying digital printing processes

to a food industry by-product material such fish leather.

The methods and practices of the project included dynamic interaction between the researchers

facilitated through the cooperative framework of the project. The feedback of the work presented

during Brussels Industry days and Milano Design week offered the researcher an information flow

that influenced the development of the final prototypes and the ultimate presentation of process

and outcomes.

The findings identify that new materials, processes, and techniques are often the result of the

successful union of fashion and technology to help drive the industry towards a more sustainable

future.