Haute Moo-ture: Organic Fashion Made from Milk

Photo: Qmilk 

Qmilk is a revolutionary new fiber made from casein, a waste product of the milk process. German  inventor, fashion designer and biologist Anke Domaske got the idea for the smooth, anti-allergenic fiber when her stepfather reacted allergic to all chemicals around him, even those in clothing, when suffering from leukaemia.    

“Qmilk combines physical properties such as purity, softness and absorbency and is manufactured using an environment-friendly process with no waste, a production time of only one hour and using only a maximum of 2 litres of water,” explains Domaske. That’s only two litres of water for every kilogram of fabric produced. In addition, the process requires no harmful chemicals, leaves zero waste behind and relies on green electricity.

What’s not to love about this new fiber? Critics have argued that using milk as a raw material for fabrics would lead to an increase in milk production but Domaske can rebut this point. It’s not milk that is used for the Qmilk fiber but casein, a powder-like substance (once processed) and waste product of the milk production process that is not suitable for human consumption. Usually, casein is headed for disposal or is used for making glue, paint, cosmetics or pharmaceutical products like pills.

Photo: Qmilk

And there’s lots of it too – in Germany, Domaske’s home country, which has very strict food laws, about 20% of all milk produced is deemed not fit for human consumption. So no need to worry about running out of their raw material for Domaske and her team.

Using casein is not new. Even Stone Age people knew how to use it as an adhesive agent for cave and rock paintings, the Old Egyptians used casein as furniture glue and the Romans as plaster for their many buildings. Today, clothes and fabrics made from organic milk fibers will find potential applications as home, medical, technical and clothing textiles. The challenge facing the young, Hanover-based company at the moment is finding investors, getting machinery and starting mass production of the innovative new fiber.

The first fashion collection made of organic milk fabrics, by the way, can be sampled from Domaske herself. Her line Mademoiselle Chi Chi (MCC) started nine years ago and has been worn by Hollywood celebrities like Mischa Barton and Ashlee Simpson. The label now presents a “milky collection”. Milk never looked so good!