Creating Fashion with Living Beings: An Exploration of Art Using the Flat Spinning of Silkworms

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While the development of materials for fashion has seen remarkable progress with various new materials emerging, there is also research approaching traditional methods of material production.

In this edition, we have interviewed Terumi Ikenaga of the Graduate School of Kyushu University, who is conducting research on silkworm silk, a material that has been deeply rooted in the lives of people worldwide for centuries. We inquired about her various approaches, such as not allowing the silkworms to make cocoons and using flat spinning, and developing new materials combining with cellulose, which are different from traditional silkworm rearing.

PROFILE

Terumi Ikenaga

Silk Researcher, Master's Degree (Arts).

While decoding the clothing description in Madame Chrysanthème, Japoneries d'Automne, Pierre Loti from the 19th-century French literature, she found possibilities in silk through cultural exchange between Japan and Lyon at that time via silk. Engaging with the traditional craft of her hometown, Hakata weaving, she realized the importance of materials and is now enrolled in the doctoral program of the Department of Household Silkworm Genetic Resources, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University. She is currently studying the characteristics and individuality of silk, focusing on wild species from over 800 silkworm strains.

Flat Spinning Without Forming Cocoons

First, could you tell us about your research on the 'flat spinning', where silkworms spin silk on a flat surface without forming cocoons? Is this a standard approach in general silkworm research, or could you tell us about the background and context of your research?

The phenomenon of silkworms performing flat spinning is well-known among those who work with silkworms. There are workshops at science museums and museums where silkworms are made to spin silk on a fan frame. Also, universities and researchers may occasionally try flat spinning.

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