Alice Potts is a designer working in the field of biomaterials research, which she uses in an innovative way. Her new project INPerspire is the use of human sweat as decoration. Baseball caps created by her from human sweat crystals look like real works of art.
The designer proceeded from the fact that sweat covers us in the same way as clothes – or like a second skin. Potts asked a group of eight people from different backgrounds and lifestyles to wear baseball caps for six weeks while they went about their daily business. The people selected for the experiment included office workers, rave culture enthusiasts, vegan lifestyles, and exercisers. The crystallization process began when a person’s sweat was absorbed into the fibers of the cap. After wearing it for six weeks, baseball caps were placed in a salt solution for 10 hours to allow the sweat to crystallize.
“The visors and fabric are already soaked in each person’s sweat, and this acts like seeds inside the fibers: when placed in a solution, the sweat looks like a puzzle growing from the inside of the material. For every liter you can get between 10 and 50 grams of brine,” explains the designer. She emphasizes that crystals can fall off, but they can also remain “for years.” They naturally adhere to the material on which they are grown, but over time their attachment weakens.
During the process, Potts noticed that there were trends in the types of crystals that formed depending on individual factors and the lifestyle of the group. Each person’s sweat is different and can be analyzed using chromatography to determine the exact biological composition. For example, men and women have a noticeable visual difference in crystal structure: women tend to have sharp crystals, while men tend to have flatter peaks.
The project aims to highlight the possibilities of sustainable design methods and biomaterials. She has already experimented with the development of biomaterials using sweat and tears, as well as bioplastic masks made from food waste. Potts is now exploring ways in which these works of art can be incorporated into fashion. “I always wanted to create something with wearable sweat crystals. I study people who lead different lifestyles, and the collection challenges conventional wisdom about fashion.”
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