UBC researchers spin wine vinegar into sustainable threads 

Slow fashion exhibition demonstrates creative solutions to ‘fast fashion’ waste—plus a new runway show on March 12 

UBC researchers are transforming waste—from wine vinegar to discarded plastics—into sustainable textiles. Journalists can see these breakthroughs at the Slow Fashion Lab Exhibition, opening Feb. 25 as part of Slow Fashion Season 2026. 

Slow fashion prioritizes quality, fair labour and lower environmental impact, while fast fashion thrives on rapid trend cycles and low prices, encouraging frequent buying and disposal at significant social and environmental cost.  

“We are working to address sustainability on several fronts, including circular materials—textiles designed to be reused, repaired and recycled rather than discarded—as well as plant-based fibres and traditional knowledge that shaped clothing long before industrial production,” said Germaine Koh, visual artist and lead researcher of UBC’s Slow Fashion research cluster. 

Media are also invited to the Slow Fashion Show on March 12, where artists and researchers will debut new garments developed using these innovative materials. 

Exhibition highlights include: 

• Red threads from wine vinegar: Researchers Marina Mehling and Kai Kirsch at UBC BioProducts Institute are spinning fibre from red wine vinegar. The bacteria that convert wine into vinegar produce cellulose—the same molecule found in cotton—while red wine tannins are embedded into the thread, potentially giving it fire-resistant properties. Artist Lorna Brown is testing the material for embroidery. 

• A second act for fabrics: UBC Okanagan researchers led by Dr. Farzan Gholamreza are extending the life of worn cotton by embedding it with recycled plastic, which forms microscopic bridges that reinforce the fibres. 

• Recycling jeans: Ottawa weaver Carl Stewart dismantled recycled Levi’s 501 jeans and retwisted the threads into new yarn, which he then wove into fresh cloth. UBC alumnus Sol Skelton transformed that cloth into a denim ensemble—demonstrating how everyday garments can be reinvented. 

Fashion produces an estimated two to eight per cent of global carbon emissions, and the textile sector recycles less than one per cent of material back into fibre. “Creative production has to be part of the answer,” said Koh. “Putting new science and traditional knowledge into wearable objects is how people come to want something different.” 

The Slow Fashion Lab Exhibition (free admission) runs from Feb. 25 to March 20 at the AHVA Gallery, UBC Vancouver. Media are welcome to attend the opening reception on Feb. 27, at 5-7 p.m.  

Interview opportunities: 

• Germaine Koh—Slow Fashion research cluster lead
• Marina Mehling/Kai Kirsch—wine-derived textile research
• Dr. Farzan Gholamreza—textile recyclability and durability research
• Additional contributors may be available on request 

Assignment editors: Photos are available (exhibition, fashion show). For additional images please contact deb.pickman@ubc.ca