Some time back, we talked about ingenious creations using sustainable fabrics – shoes being made out of mushrooms and raincoats out of seaweed. Fashion industry doesn’t take a break when it comes to innovations, though.
The problem? Waste mis-management and the wastage of natural resources.
The solution? Fashion designer Adriana Santanocito, along with Enrica Erena spun the first yarn made out of orange peel!
Let’s break it down.
What is orange fibre fabric, and how is it made?
Fabric made out of food can sound a little weird when we hear about it first, but don’t worry. It’s neither edible, nor will melt in rain.
Orange peels contain a special type of cellulose of which yarn can be made. This yarn can then be combined with cotton, silk and other fibers to give the desired texture and appearance. On its own, orange fabric is silky, soft, and very lightweight. Spinning the year doesn’t have specific process, either. Any typical procedure can be applied to attain the desired spin from cellulose.
How did the idea of this sustainable fabric emerge, and why orange?
Adriana Santanocito was studying fashion designing in Italy at Politecnico di Milano, while preparing for a dissertation side by side. As she would go out, she would notice discarded peels of citrus fruits, the most common being oranges.
Even though food by-products are biodegradable, they still cause havoc because of the amount of space needed to dump them.
Many juice companies shut down because of the inability to dispose off fruit waste in an eco-friendly manner. Here’s where she thought of an addition to sustainable and eco-friendly fabrics: one made out of orange peel cellulose!
Why oranges is an easy question to answer. We don’t know a soul who doesn’t love OJ. That means it’s one of the most common fruits used in the world. Consequently, one that generates an enormous amount of waste. The cellulose present in the peels redeems this chaos!
Sustainable or not, we can’t eat this fabric. How, then, can we claim that it’s healthy?
Orange Fiber, the company established by Adriana and Enrica, claims that though the fabric might not be as edible, it still contains vitamins A, B6 and C, and natural oils. When you wear clothes made out of this fabric, your skin breathes in the nutrients and oils(thank you, pores). As a result, it stays ultra-healthy. Imagine getting vibrant and plump skin just because of what you wear. We are so in! Need more reasons to love this material? Being one of the most sustainable fabrics the world knows, it’s biodegradable!
Orange Fiber has won many awards for its go-orange initiative. Not compromising the appearance of clothing and also reducing waste while being a biodegradable fabric? It doesn’t get any better, guys.
Except it does.
Don’t think the clothes made out of orange fibre fabric are just orange. They can be dyed any colour(but we love orange, obviously). Needless to mention, they can be spun with any other fabric to give you just what you want, and amazing skin!
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