Wearable wine: It's smelly, slimy and snug

It smells like red wine, feels slimy when wet and is figure hugging. Inspiration for the red wine dress came when Gary Cass noticed a skin-like layer covering a vat of wine that had been contaminated with bacteria and "gone off". The University of Western Australia researcher wanted to create a wearable seamless garment that formed itself without a single stitch. “The product is very delicate, comprising micro-fibrils of cellulose, the material that forms green plants’ cell walls," he said. Researchers are now using other forms of alcohol, including growing the bacteria on beer, to produce a translucent material.

Kia Ora Waitangi 2025
Photos

Kia Ora Waitangi 2025

The week-long festivities have been full of colour ahead of Waitangi Day. Photos / Dean Purcell and Alyse Wright

Latest Videos