Milk duds
Fans of clothing made from milk say it 'does a body good'
|
|
Toolbox
By INSUNG CHO
Columbia News Service - Published: November 12, 2006
If Dolores Piscotta has her way, milk will soon find its way from your dinner table to your closet. Piscotta is the owner of Piscotta Cashmere, a company in New York that sells clothes and spa accessories derived from the dairy staple.
"I'm always looking for something new," says Piscotta, who prides herself on her continual quest to discover innovative materials. It was during one of her frequent online searches that she discovered a Chinese company manufacturing fabrics out of milk.
For two years, Piscotta has been selling milk cloth T-shirts, pants, camisoles and eye masks to shoppers online and to boutiques across the country. She isn't the only one. Magaschoni, a luxury knitwear brand sold at department stores like Saks Fifth Avenue, introduced a sweater made of knitted milk and silk last fall.
To create the fiber, liquid milk is dried and its proteins extracted. The separated proteins are then dissolved in a chemical solution and placed into a machine that essentially whirls the fibers together. The fibers can then be spun into yarn and woven into fabric.
The process has been around since World War I, but the cost to produce milk fiber was so high that the fabric never became popular. Advances in technology have reduced the cost, but the process remains expensive.
Besides being environmentally friendly, milk clothing "does a body good," advocates claim.
"One of my customers swears it has helped reduce her hot flashes," Piscotta says.
Cyran, the textile company that manufactures the fabric, says milk protein fiber contains 18 amino acids that are healthy for humans.
"Amino acids form a protective external layer on the skin and keep items like toxins out of the body," says Dr. Kelly Cordoro, a dermatologist at the University of Virginia. However, Cordoro cautions that the amino acids must be obtained through the foods you eat. "I just don't see how they can be absorbed into the skin from wear."
Allergic reactions to milk fabrics can be a concern for those with lactose sensitivity, according to research conducted by the University of Nebraska. The milk proteins in the fabric can react with perspiration and lead to rashes or worse, says Dr. Steve Taylor, director of the center that completed the study.
Although any health benefits are up for debate, most agree the fiber has undeniable appeal. The fabric created from it is breathable, holds dye well and feels luxurious to the touch.
"It's like silk kicked up a notch," says Thierry Postma, who lives on the West Coast. Postma, 60, loves how soft the fabric leaves her skin. She often travels by air and says she's been "hooked" since she first tried Piscotta's eye mask on one of her flights to Europe.
"I was so very impressed with her product that I called her immediately after my return and ordered a shirt," she says.
A recent interest in renewable fibers is part of a larger movement toward eco-friendly products, says Marty Jacobs, executive director of the National Textile Center.
Earthpledge organized a Future Fashion show for New York's fall fashion week in 2005. Designers including Oscar de la Renta sent models down the runway in diaphanous evening gowns, pencil skirts and structured shirts made from corn, flax and soy. The designs continue to be featured at trade shows and conferences. Giorgio Armani has also recently launched a line of corn-based garments.
Until milk fabric is mass-produced, the cost of clothing made from it will continue to give many consumers sticker shock.
"It feels like you're wearing nothing, and it drapes beautifully," says Karen Hunt, 41, who received one of Piscotta's T-shirts as a gift. But she says the price has prevented her from buying more items. Piscotta's T-shirt retails for $110.
"It is a very, very high capital investment that goes into any kind of mass production," says Paul Calvert, a professor at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. Without tremendous public demand for the material, a large retailer will not shoulder the initial financial burden necessary to produce it on a large scale. Calvert is doubtful the demand for milk clothing will swell to the point where it will be sold at the local Wal-Mart.
Piscotta admits her cashmere items still outsell her milk products, but she has high hopes. "This is something extraordinary," she says.
40