Eco-fashion is the new black. From garments dyed with products of the earth such as chaga mushroom or clothing decorated with food until the first Vegan Fashion Week or the banning of animal furs by big brands all represent important efforts of the fashion world towards a green and responsible approach. Being able to find alternative solutions to alleviate the collapse of our planet is a mission that the Italian brand DueDiLatte has taken to heart successfully. Today, turn a glass of milk into a T-shirt it is a magic finally possible.

From yesterday's idea to today's realization

Originality is not so much in the conception as in its realization. At the beginning of the last century, the German chemist Frederick Todtenhaupt has the ingenious idea of ​​working on milk by-products to obtain a silk substitute, unfortunately without results. Results that are instead obtained by the engineer Antonio Ferretti in 1930, which he set up the transformation of casein into milk fiber. A few years later, the Turin company SNIA Viscose produces milk-based fabric with an international reputation. Unfortunately the downsides, like the little resistance and the insufficient softness, surpass the solution in favor of new alternatives of synthetic origin. Nevertheless, the idea cannot be discarded: the protein present in wool is very similar to that of casein, there must be a way to get out of it. Today, come to think of it, it is Antonella Bellina, Managing director and creative director of the Tuscan company DueDiLatte, which creates collections of clothing made of precious milk yarn obtained thanks to innovative bioengineering techniques.

From milk to fabric: yes qualities, no defects

The new processes developed to extract the fiber have made great strides for less pollution. There milk fiber is obtained from the processing of casein through a recycling system that requires only 2 liters of water per kilo of product, no chemical agent and zero final waste or production waste; unbeatable compared to the 50 liters of water needed to produce 1 kg of cotton! Furthermore, the milk used for processing into fiber is the surplus product of the food and cosmetic industries destined to be disposed of as waste, so there are no cultivations or intensive farming. It is not only the eco aspect that is satisfied: from the milk fiber DueDiLatte has developed yarns and fabrics to make clothing that provides wellbeing. In fact they release a precious moisturizing effect that gives well-being and protects the skin, even the most delicate. The Tuscan brand combines milk fiber with precious natural fibers such as cotton or micromodal to produce fabrics and garments made entirely in Italy, confirming milk as a green chic style choice. Even rice milk is used for the fiber of roses, comparable to cashmere for flexibility and softness.

Present and future

100% natural, velvety, resistant, hypoallergenic, antibacterial, breathable, light and moisturizing: to try. For now, there are unisex T-shirts in selected Italian stores, but the intention is to propose in the near future also children's clothing in a perspective of expansion over the rest of Europe. In a recent interview with Fashion United, Antonella Bellina he explained: "We started five years ago, but the first three years were devoted to research and development in the laboratory. It is only since last year that the market seems to have understood what is the milk-based fabric and the advantages it offers ". Moreover, he anticipated the development of a special collection in collaboration with an important Italian brand, without revealing other details. We are waiting anxiously.