'ovoveil', the Sustainable Material Created from Eggshell Membranes

Last time, we interviewed Naoko Tosa, a professor/artist at Kyoto University, who runs the fashion brand 'Sound of Ikebana'. This brand decided to incorporate a new material in some looks of their 2024-2025 collection, which was revealed in New York in February this year – 'ovoveil', made from eggshell membranes (a thin layer found inside the eggshell's surface).

'ovoveil' was developed by 'Pharma Foods', a biotech company based in Kyoto, upcycling the 10,000 tons out of 260,000 tons of eggshells discarded annually in Japan. The company has long been engaged in research and development, aiming to create functional materials from natural materials. That's who developed 'ovoveil', an exciting new material which debuted last autumn. We spoke to the developers about the appeal of this innovative material.

The Enigmatic Material 'Egg' as the Inspirational Origin

Firstly, could you tell us about what led to the development of 'ovoveil'?

We have been researching chicken eggs for many years and pursuing numerous businesses. A chicken egg that turns into a chick after 21 days of incubation is an enigmatic material, condensed with substances necessary for the birth of life. It's this focus on drawing necessary components for the creation and sustenance of life from eggs that forms the core inspiration for our company.