Genetic garments

UK – Central Saint Martins graduate Tina Gorjanc raises questions about the legal ownership of biological materials in her final project.

Pure Human raises concerns about the patentability of human genetic materials for commercial use
The Human Tissue Act (2004) only covers the handling of bodily materials for medical purposes

Pure Human is a speculative collection of commercial leather products cultivated from samples of Alexander McQueen’s graduation collection, Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims, in which the designer used his own hair to make the labels. The project, created during Gorjanc's Material Futures Master’s course at Central Saint Martins, also explores the human skin as a material that people tattoo and tan to express their personality.

‘This new approach to the idea of luxury puts its values in an entirely different context that revolves around genetic identity,’ explains Gorjanc. ‘The ability to alter and own genetic material that is passed down from generation to generation puts a new perspective on inheritance.’

The Big Picture

Genetically engineered leather could severely reduce the natural cost of the luxury fashion industry. PETA Asia’s latest campaign tricked luxury shoppers into seeing the gruesome reality behind exotic leather goods.