Periodic Reporting for period 1 - FISHSkin (Developing Fish Skin as a sustainable raw material for the fashion industry)
Reporting period: 2019-02-01 to 2021-07-31
• Maintaining a balanced fish population
• Keeping the environment clean by creating non-toxic tanning methods for fish skin
• Demonstrating the use, value and sustainability aspects of fish skin leather compared with exotic leather and other possible alternatives
• Elevating the quality and range of finishes of fish skin in non-polluting techniques; and:
• Helping the fashion industry assimilate and accept this raw material according to its high standard and desirable qualities
2. Learning about traditional vegetable tanning processes through hands-on practical experimentation. Documentation of the process, documentation of the materials involved including recipes, amounts and sourcing possibilities.
3. Performing preliminary material tests with an emphasis on surface manipulation using traditional techniques for leather finishing:
a. Dying attempts– with local natural dyes from Iceland, traditional silk dyes from Japan, Indigo and Shibori dyeing techniques.
b. Laser cutting
c. Embossing
d. Gold leaf application
e. Digital printing – inkjet
f. Adhesion between separate pieces of leather
4. Performing preliminary material tests with an emphasis on 3D form making and pattern making for various possible applications using existing fish leather pieces:
a. Garments
b. Swimwear
c. Accessories – bags
5. Preliminary tests for connecting remnant pieces, small scraps, from the production process (as opposed to complete whole skins) and integrating them together into a continuous usable surface using various artistic manipulations, adhesion techniques and layering.
6. Conducting initial chemical and physical characterization tests for existing commercially produced fish skins
7. Preliminary data collection for the purpose of working on a material flow diagram for fish skin production. Work included interviews, data collection and visual documentation.
8. Initial digital scanning of fish skins and integration of the scans in existing 2D and 3D software
2) Development of transparent flexible surfaces using gelatin extract from fish and fish leather production waste and algae extracts – initial results produced in lab scale tests
3) Surface treatment of fish leather for achieving hydrophilic properties using natural and sustainable processes – initial results produced at lab scale tests
4) Initial digital scanning of fish skin vertex outlines for the purpose of developing 2D automatic distribution and nesting strategy designated specifically for the challenges of the size and geometry of fish skins.
5) Documentation of intangible cultural heritage practices related to fish skin : ancient traditions shared by Artic communities historically settled on rivers and coasts - Yup’ik and Athabascan (Alaska and Canada); the Nivkh and Nanai peoples (Siberia); the Ainu (Japan); the Hezhe (China); and the Icelanders.
6) Material flow analysis for the use of fish skins for the production of leather
7) Completing a comprehensive portfolio exemplifying techniques for dying and finishing for fish skins