Ganni and Modern Synthesis create a handbag out of bacterial leather
Biomaterial start-up Modern Synthesis (MS) has linked up with Danish brand Ganni to create a handbag with a leather alternative material produced from bacteria. The version of Ganni's signature ‘Bou Bag’ was recently displayed at the London Design Festival (LDF) and is expected to be commercially available by early 2025.
Unveiled during LDF’s Material Matters 2023 event, the bacterial leather material was made by London biotech company Modern Synthesis using a process developed by CEO Jen Keane during her degree course at Central Saint Martins. Modern Synthesis grows bacteria over a framework of threads by feeding it agricultural waste. The microbes then convert sugar found in the waste into nanocellulose, a finer form of the cellulose fibres found in cotton and eight times as strong as stainless steel relative to its weight.
The resulting fibres create a material that drapes in a similar way to cowhide, but has the potential to generate up to 65 times fewer greenhouse gas emissions than real leather and doesn’t require the use of plastic coating for durability. The bag’s lining, however, does contain plastic microfibres, although the two brands are working together to create a 100% cellulose-based version of the Bou bag in the future.
‘Collaborating with Ganni on the Bou bag has allowed us to showcase the viability of bacterial cellulose-based materials in real-world applications,’ Keane told Dezeen. ‘These one-off showcase pieces are pivotal in evaluating a material’s workability and appeal to both designers and consumers – which paves the way for its eventual integration into everyday fashion.’
