3 questions to Suzanne Lee, Founder and CEO of Biofabricate
Suzanne Lee is one of those visionaries who are leading the way towards more conscious fashion. In this exclusive interview for Pearls magazine, the Founder and CEO of Biofabricate talks about her career, the role of biology and innovation in sustainable fashion, and the exciting prospects for the next edition of Biofabricate in Paris. Biofabricate à Paris. We asked Suzanne three key questions to help us better understand her work and her vision.
Could you introduce yourself and the event you created, Biofabricate?
I’m Suzanne Lee, Founder and CEO of Biofabricate. My background is in fashion and textile design, and I’ve spent the last twenty years working on innovation in biomaterials. I founded Biofabricate in 2014 when I moved to America to join biotech startup Modern Meadow as Creative Director. Biofabricate was originally created as a conference with the mission of connecting the scientists, creatives, entrepreneurs and investors in my network to drive innovation in biomaterials towards a healthier planet. In 2019, Biofabricate became my full-time business. Our annual summit, the leading event for organic innovation in fashion and beauty, has been extended to include consultancy for luxury brands. We help them navigate this vital but complex world and educate their teams to bring these innovations to market.
Why are biology and innovation essential to a sustainable fashion industry?
We are all aware that the planet is in crisis and we must urgently implement changes to radically reduce our impact. Think about nature. Biology can show us how to create beauty and functionality with minimal resources and efficient design, all within a regenerative ecosystem. Today’s materials innovators are moving away from fossil (petrochemical) inputs.
Instead, they create materials composed of the same building blocks found in the natural world. Incredible materials are grown from living organisms like mycelium (the root-like structure of fungi) and new fabrics are woven from proteins brewed in the same way we make beer. Even the magnificent colours we find in nature can be produced by living cells to create biological colours.
Biofabricate is a unique place to discover these and many other future innovations that will transform the fashion industry in the decades to come!
What fashion-related projects do you have with Biofabricate?
Upstream, we work with the world’s top luxury brands to deepen their understanding, helping them to adopt the latest organic innovations. We also advise biomaterials start-ups and investors who need support as their innovations develop and reach the market.
Luxury is leading the way…the wider industry will follow as these exciting new materials develop and their prices fall over time.
The next Biofabricate Summit will take place in Paris in 2025. This is where sustainability-focused brands come to discover the next generation of biomaterials and connect with the founders to collaborate on their product journeys. Biofabricate is where design meets biology!
