Biomimicry is a practice that learns from nature’s wisdom as plants, animals, insects, and other living organisms have evolved over billions of years in order to survive and adapt to dynamic environments, and many natural adaptations have proved to be more effective than man-made solutions. The biomimicry term appeared in 1982, it was invented and published by Janine Benyus, an American natural sciences writer, in her most significant 1997 book – “Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature”. She claimed to look to nature as a “Model, Measure, and Mentor” and she also suggested that the main aim of biomimicry is sustainability.

Biomimicry has been used by scientists and designers as a huge source of inspiration to create more efficient and more sustainable designs for different purposes. It always has been and will continue to be so in the future as we can see the world demanding more eco-friendly solutions. In 2011,  there was a project called Biomimicry done by fashion designer Stefanie Nieuwenhuyse. She created a collection of sustainable and durable garments by mimicking nature’s natural patterns and shapes like reptile skins. To minimise waste, she collected discarded pieces of plywood and cut the shapes out as efficiently as possible, and then layered them onto unbleached organic cotton. Another project is Biomimicry Shoe (Bird Skull Shoe), which was designed in the same year by designer Marieka Ratsma in collaboration with architect Kostika Spaho. The idea of this Biomimicry Shoe was also inspired by a combination of nature and modern technology. It highlights the aesthetics and the shape of a bird’s skull and uses 3D printing technology to manage to produce such a wearable product with a lightweight and efficient structure, which requires less support material, resulting in optimal efficiency, strength, and elegance.

References:

• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1110016815001702
• http://www.osmosis-industries.com/digital/2015/4/21/nature-inspired-fashion-design-through-the-theory-of-biomimicry
• https://www.behance.net/gallery/2056440/Biomimicry-MA-Fashion-2011
• https://trendland.com/marieka-ratsma-biomimicry-shoe/