German makes clothes from milk

BERLIN (Reuters) — A young fashion designer from the German city of Hanover is revolutionizing high fashion by designing clothes with a staple she can find in her fridge — milk.

Anke Domaske, 28, has developed a fabric called QMilch made from high concentrations of the milk protein casein -- the first man-made fiber produced entirely without chemicals. "It feels like silk and it doesn't smell — you can wash it just like anything else," Domaske said.

Made from all natural materials, the QMilch fabric is ecological but also has many health benefits, said Domaske, who also said the amino acids in the protein are antibacterial, anti-aging and can help regulate both blood circulation and body temperature.

Milk fabric has been around since the 1930s but was always produced in unecological ways that used a lot of chemicals. Unlike earlier prototypes, QMilch is made almost entirely from casein. "We have developed an all-natural fiber consisting of a very high concentration of casein, with a few other natural ingredients – and in only two years," the former microbiology student Domaske said.

Domaske said it would take about six liters of milk to produce an entire dress, which costs about $200. Luckily, for that kind of money, the clothes don't come with an expiry date — during the heating process, the molecules bind in such a way that the protein won't decompose. Due to its anti-bacterial qualities, the milk fiber can also be used in medicine and makeup. Even some auto companies have looked into using the fiber for car upholstery.

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/337273/german-makes-clothes-milk