The skin of a tree is an unlikely starting place for new materials, but as we cast an ever-widening net from which to harvest nature’s ingredients we discover new ways of using existing materials, such as tree bark, in contemporary design. This spicy alternative to traditional woven textiles has a texture and crunchy feeling that lies somewhere between paper, leather and a piece of linen. With this type of material, the key to understanding it lies in the production, which is based on the same multilevel considerations as harvesting any natural product.
The bark used as a panel in these Vimaga shoes is by BarkTex® and is harvested from the inner bark of the Mutaba tree on eco-certified farms in Uganda. It is a raffia fleece without any additives, thereby consisting of pure cellulose. As might be expected, each piece is unique and hand-cultivated by a process similar to debarking a cork tree. Once chopped from the tree the bark is softened by boiling and then beaten with wooden mallets to stretch it and smooth the surface. After which it takes about a year for the tree to replenish its bark. BarkTex® produce a material of the same name and a Bark Cloth®, which undergoes additional processing.
Image: Bark Cloth® shoe by Vimaga
•100% organic
•Compelling consumer story
•Tear-resistant against the direction of the fibre
•Each piece is unique
•Abrasion and water resistant
Sources
This particular material is harvested from certified farms in Uganda and sold by BarkTex®.
Cost
Bark cloth® is approximately £21 per sq m ($38 per 10 sq ft) and an average single sheet cloth size is 2 x 3 metres (6½ x 10 ft). It is available in a variety of thickness, ranging from 0.5 mm to 2 mm.
Sustainability issues
It is manufactured without any chemicals or agents and, according to the manufacturer, is 100% organic. They also stress that only under the right conditions of rain, sun and timing can debarking occur.
Production
The methods of cutting, fabrication and lamination are many and varied and the material should be considered for production in the same way as other textiles.
Typical applications
Applications include fashion such as bags, shoes, hats, and blinds and wall coverings for interior design, also furniture and lighting. In other industries it is also used for trim and seating in car interiors and, interestingly, is also being experimented with for use as a fascia on consumer electronic products.
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–Versatile –Tear resistant –Water resistant –100% organic and sustainable |
–Comparatively expensive –Only available from specialist suppliers |