21 February 2021

Towards the ‘Age of Recovery’ by Kate Goldsworthy

Dr Kate Goldsworthy has contributed to the latest issue of Viewpoint Colour, a magazine edited by FranklinTill.

In her article ‘Material of Time’, Kate outlines three stages of fibre and material sourcing and where it’s all headed.

• The Age of Naturals | from 6000 BC to the 19th Century
• The Age of Synthetics | the 20th Century
• The Age of Recovery | towards 2050

Kate writes that sourcing of raw materials such as hemp, cotton and flax from crop and wool and leather from animals remained unchanged, until the age of synthetics came in the 1880s where synthetics (polyester, nylon, acrylics) and semi-synthetics (viscose, acetate, lyocell) dominated the textile industry for over hundred years.

However, in recent years there has been a massive drive for recovered synthetics, biopolymers, regenerated celluloses and engineered protein from unexpected sources such as leather engineered using pineapple leaves and casein produced from milk protein but she asks can this shift in sourcing and reuse of waste lead us to recover natural materials and reach full circularity by 2050.

Kate is the BFTT’s Deputy Director and Research Lead for BFTT Challenge 5.

You can read the Kate’s article here. Viewpoint Colour can be purchased on Pantone’s website.