Cow milk couture? Who says dairy can’t be sexy!

I am watching a YouTube video right now of a svelte young model prancing around in front of a camera in a trendy dress. The only odd accessory is the glass of milk that she is holding.

In a rather whimsical take on a kitchen experiment, a young German designer named Anke Domaske has created an organic fibre which is made from cow’s milk. It sounds like weird science but in fact, milk fibre is remarkably like silk yet cheaper, and very protein rich which makes it easy to care for. And you can produce it without any pesticides, making it more sustainable than conventional cotton for starters.

Damaske does not use the same milk we buy at the supermarket, however, but only substandard milk which would otherwise been thrown out. So her business model is also responding to the issue of post-production waste, a key food system challenge which the recent Foresight report has highlighted. No matter how small this contribution is in the greater scheme of things today, we will need more smart business models like this in a sustainable future.

Given the pressure for the UK dairy industry to diversify into more value-added products, this is also a signal that we could see more innovations from unexpected places like this in the future. Innovations which will also require the industry to retool its skillset somewhat: more interdisciplinary approaches will be critical (incidentally, Domaske is a part-time microbiologist, part-time fashion designer).

Milk couture might still feel niche, but with celebrities beginning to wear it, and a menswear line planned, we could be in for a surprise…