28-year-old Anke Domaske has developed her own fabric, called QMilch, made from high concentrations of the milk protein casein.

Introducing QMilch: a silky, man-made fiber produced entirely without chemicals. German fashion designer and microbiologist Anke Domaske developed the yarn that is made entirely from milk protein fibers and extracted from milk that did not meet hygiene standards. Yahoo News says “The milk fibres contain 18 amino-acids that are beneficial to health.”

The amino acids in the protein have actually been found to be antibacterial and anti-aging and can help regulate both blood circulation and body temperature. Good news for conscious shoppers looking for clothes that do double duty. With the health benefits and lack of traditional oil by-products, QMilch is 40% more expensive than organic cotton, with the cost of a dress retailing for about $199. But regardless of cost, the designer aims to start mass-producing the material next year.

“We have developed an all-natural fiber consisting of a very high concentration of casein, with a few other natural ingredients – and in only two years,” says Domaske, a former microbiology student.

Milk fibers themselves are nothing new and have been around since the ’30s in Italy and America to compete with wool. The fibers, known as ARALAC, Lanatil and Merinova, are all different brands from the same fiber manufactured from milk casein which, says textile importer Euroflax, “fell victim to their minor flaws and the war.”

QMilch yarns

According to Reuters, Domaske’s fashion label Mademoiselle Chi Chi, a favorite among the likes of Mischa Barton and Ashlee Simpson has now started weaving the milk fiber into its collection. MCC clothes are currently made from a combination of fibers, including QMilch, but Domaske plans to design a collection made entirely from the milk fiber.

“We know that everything that is based on oil has a limit, that materials like cotton that take up a lot of land, water, and chemicals are limited, so we need to think about how we produce fabrics and textiles in the future, the Textile Research Association tells Newser.

With better, perhaps even sexier branding, these fibers can flourish and make it out of labs and tech talk and into the mainstream.

Consumers will ultimately be the deciding factor.

Dresses made from Anke Domaske’s QMilch

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