Celium™
id card
Bacterial cellulose (primarily) + backing + PU coating
composition
Cellulose
building blocks
Lab Grown
material origin
Sheet, Sandwich sheet
shape
7 – prototype demo in operational environment
TRL
A bacterial cellulose leather alternative introducing new and unique properties to the world of sustainable materials.
One vegan, eco-friendly matter, it is fully grown from the massive industrial fruit waste nobody's ever remembered to utilize before - it's synthetic biology to the fullest, creating matters with entirely new characteristics that do not exist in nature.
Properties
Lightweight when put against real leathers.
Distinct texture - compare it to a fingerprint - due to its organic, unrepeatable nature.
Customizable feel for many design possibilities - different tanning, dyeing & texture tampering such as embossing - with customizable backings and coatings.
"Whether you are looking for a classical leather feel or forward-thinking aesthetics, Celium™ can do both."
Cyclability
100% Vegan. 100% Biobased.
Circular biomanufacturing - no hazardous material release and no traceable biomass outputs.
Production is known to conform to environmental standards such as EPA.
APPLICATIONS
Sportswear, footwear, accessories - think in terms of bags and watches...
Automotive.
FOOTWEAR APPLICATIONS
Upper
Production process
Locally produced agro-industrial fruit waste is sourced and used to feed the bacteria.
Then the cells self-organise into their cellulosic structure as they're feeding on the fruit waste, further undergoing enhancing processes to stabilize it to offer a flexible, high performing material.
The tanning is usually done at local tanneries, in close proximity of the company headquarters - small CO2 transportation cost emissions!
Manufacturing facts
3 to 4 weeks for a finished material. Ideally, the collective industrial fruit waste makes for enough abundance to produce close to 168,000,000 sq.ft of Celium™ yearly! Current production though - 70,000 square feet per year.
production time
"Another key differentiator is that we grow Celium™ in a proprietary state-of-the-art vertical biofabrication system similar to indoor farming that is very efficient and uses solar-powered electricity and heat, going from waste to finished material under the same roof to boost sustainability."
Backing done by brand partners, which makes it open for custom input based on the intended application. For example - recycled polyester or some non-woven backings!
the factory
Behind the screen
Celium™ Fashion For Good
products
Axel and Alexis Gómez Ortigoza, Bárbara González Rolón
founders
2014
Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
time & place
Fashion For Good, GANNI
partnerships
