Yes, that white stuff cows make. Anke Domaske, a German fashion designer/microbiologist, has found a way to create a special fiber from milk and use it to make fashionable eco-clothes.

The 28-year-old designer realized there’s more to milk than meets the eye, and since she’s always had a thing for science, she and her team spent years experimenting with turning it into eco-thread. It was a lot like experimenting ingredients you have in your cupboard, only in this case the result was truly revolutionary. They came up with a special mixture containing a protein derived from sour milk, which is processed in a lab, near the German city of Brehmen. It’s heated up and pressed through a kind of mincing machine to create the threads. And the best thing is the milk used is low grade and would normally be thrown away.

But how does a fashion designer come up with a complicated formula for creating bio thread from milk? Anke Domaske learned to make clothes as a child, from her great grandmother, a milliner, but she also had a passion for science and even won a contest for up-and-coming scientists, as a teenager. After she finished school she went to Tokyo, Japan, where she sold t-shirts she designed herself. On her return home she began studying microbiology and set-up her own fashion label on the side. In short she managed to balance her two greatest interests and the result is astonishing.

One of the big qualities of milk fiber is that it has a silky texture, and unlike real silk, it can be produced without the use of pesticides. The fabric making process is also much more environment-friendly and considerably cheaper. Milk fabric is made of protein so you can wash it normally, and it’s really easy to care for. Although most of us see milk as just a food product, it appears it’s actually a wonderful natural resource that can be used for things we never even dreamed.

Anke Domaske’s revolutionary milk fiber fashion is going on show this summer, and she’s already received inquiries from all over the world. Next she plans to work on a men’s line. Her designer clothes are priced between €150 ($214) and €200 ($286), which really isn’t very much for the eco-luxury market.

via MYFDB Blog