Material revolution: where biology, design and business collide
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‘Our inspiration came from a simple but urgent realisation: as designers, we must build our world differently,’ says Suzanne Lee, founder of Biofabricate, the global authority on biomaterials that seeks to place biology at the core of how we create.
At this year’s London Design Festival, in Walthamstow’s Big Penny Social, Biofabricate will launch a new format: The Biofab Fair. The event will showcase the full spectrum of bio-innovation – from speculative research to commercially available materials, right through to products already on shelves.
By presenting not only concepts but also pilots, supply chain partners, and scale-ready solutions, the fair aims to accelerate adoption. ‘We’re not just raising awareness – we’re catalysing mainstream, real-world uptake,’ says Lee.
“For us, success means contracts signed and biomaterials embedded in the supply chains of 2026 and beyond.”
The latest generation of biomaterials, Lee explains, is about more than sustainability – they open new aesthetic possibilities. Plant-based structural colours mimic the beauty of butterflies; microbes infuse surfaces with vivid hues and intricate patterns; otherworldly radiance emerges from algae. ‘All these innovations are free from plastics and toxic chemicals, and are designed to biodegrade,’ she notes.
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Visitors will also encounter products already in the market – among them GOB’s mycelium earplugs (worn by Billie Eilish on her last tour) and beauty brand The Unseen’s fossil-fuel-free cosmetics. ‘We’ve seen our events inspire the next generation of founders – Lauryn, the founder of GOB, credits attending a Biofabricate summit with her decision to pivot careers into biomaterials,’ Lee says.
There are countless examples of collaborations sparked at Biofabricate gatherings, she adds – from innovators connecting with brands to attendees securing jobs. Past events initiated such partnerships as Vivobarefoot and Balena’s compostable footwear. Yet for all its commercial drive, the fair’s heartbeat remains creative.
‘Bioinnovation is nothing without design,’ says Lee. ‘It plays a role not just in shaping the final product, but in how we engage with biology itself.’ Imitating nature is no longer enough, she argues – the real opportunity lies in collaborating with it.
“That’s what the Biofab Fair is here to champion: a future where design doesn’t just make biomaterials desirable – it makes them possible.”
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