Models at a Peter Do show at New York Fashion Week in September wore outfits made with shrimp-shell-based leather from startup TômTex.
Source: TômTexThe Latest Leather Alternative Is Made From Shrimp Shells
A growing number of startups are developing materials that mimic the look and feel of natural textiles, without the negative impact of synthetics.
Inside a 4,000-square-foot laboratory at the heart of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, a group of scientists are demonstrating how to make wearable shrimp shells.
It all starts with mixing chitosan — a white-powder biochemical component extracted from the shells — with water and organic acid. As the chitosan is dissolving, the scientists add in what they call the “secret sauce,” a combination of biomaterials and pigments that varies depending on the texture and color being targeted. The liquid is then poured into a mold and placed in a heater to evaporate excess water, not unlike baking a cake in an oven. Several hours later, all that remains is the final product: a laptop-sized piece of leather-like fabric.