The Mills Fabrica: A Scientific Spectacle
Image credit: Alex Upton
London by foot can be deceiving. All those pavements lined with dependable brown terraces betray no hint of the fun that might be going on behind tightly closed doors.
This is the case with The Mills Fabrica. Sat comfortably on York Way, a rather uncheerful road behind King’s Cross station, the restrained yellow and red brick building shows no trace of the exciting novelties brewing therein. But if you catch a glimpse of the test tubes and textiles through the glass, your curiosity may well be whetted.
‘The ground floor is our innovation and concept store, Fabrica X’, says Amy Tsang, their Acting Head of Europe, ‘it’s open to the public.’ Walking in, one is greeted by a sweeping showroom. The displays – which often change – are there to introduce and educate consumers on the work done at The Mills Fabrica. Which, you may ask, is what exactly?
The brainchild of Vanessa Cheung, The Mills Fabrica is a cutting-edge sustainability incubator. Targeting the notoriously damaging fashion and agriculture sectors, it supports technological innovations in ‘techstyle’ and ‘agrifood’. In layman’s terms? Well, it’s a kind of ultra-sexy science lab.
Fabrica X presents the science in a way that transforms a jaded Londoner into an eager child at a magic show.
Once upon a time, Cheung’s family operated cotton mills in Asia, though these have long closed. The name of The Mills Fabrica is a nod to this past, though her return to textiles has a completely different focus. This time it’s about accelerating solutions. The phenomenal success of their Hong Kong flagship, which opened five years ago, speaks for itself. The King’s Cross site, which opened in July 2021, is its second. ‘We see a lot of innovations coming out of London, and we wanted to be closer’, Amy explains.
The space is a smorgasbord, with a recent exhibit including a container of soft white fibres made from potato stems and a cabinet full of snacks in seaweed paper packaging. ‘We had a vending machine at one point,’ Amy shares, ‘It stocked edible sachets. You choose a flavour and get a burst of liquid refreshment without the wasteful wrapper. We had things like ginger shots and elderflower fizz.’ There’s even a corner dedicated to workshops, where inquisitive members of the public can participate in activities like making keyrings from discarded eggshell.
Fabrica X is an astute proposition. It understands the necessity of drawing the attention of casual consumers and industry insiders alike. After all, converting a mass audience to geeky-sounding ideas like ‘biomaterials’ requires flair. We may want to be eco-conscious… but we don’t want a chemistry lecture. Fabrica X presents the science in a way that transforms a jaded Londoner into an eager child at a magic show.
I’m reluctant to leave, but eventually I am drawn upstairs to a swanky reception area, replete with objet d’art that are – true to the theme – crafted by designers who use recycled or waste materials. The statement side tables are made polyurethane foam dust discarded in the construction process; a huge geometrical artwork was fashioned with husks of Mexican heirloom corn; and the bespoke counters were remoulded from items like lawn furniture and CDs.
The whole place is a meticulously thought-out solution for tackling environmental harm.
On this floor, there’s a fully decked out lecture room, where they host panels and talks, as well as a co-working space. Some of the members here are companies from The Mills Fabrica’s portfolio. For these businesses they do everything from advising on strategy, to providing exposure and raising awareness.
Colorfix is resident here and is one of their most mind-blowing start-ups. It was established by two synthetic biologists who were horrified to discover the impact of the dyeing industry on water and human health. Colorfix has pioneered the first biological method of creating fabric dye. This hi-tech process uses DNA sequencing of natural pigments and proves that these days, you don’t need to suffer the pretensions of fashion school to get into the industry. They recently launched a H&M colour collection and a partnership with Pangaia, alongside winning a slew of international awards. The Mills Fabrica sure knows how to back winners.
Up on the third level, Amy shows me their state-of-the-art prototyping lab, kitted out with a 3D printer, laser cutter and other industrial tools. Access to this equipment is a rare chance for early-stage innovators, and The Mills Fabrica rewards emerging talent from both Central Saint Martins, as well as from the ‘Techstyle For Social Good’ International Student Competition. Often hard to find or prohibitively expensive to use, these machines mean research and development can continue after students graduate. Moving their projects to The Mills Fabrica’s lab can mean shortening the time it takes to bring important innovations to market. ‘Consumers aren’t willing to pay huge amounts extra for sustainable products, which is why these start-ups are working to drive costs down,’ Amy notes.
The whole place is a meticulously thought-out solution for tackling environmental harm. Besides, as Amy comments, ‘it’s interesting to see the crossover with science and fashion. Before, you’d never think those industries could collide.’ More than anything, it’s a one-stop shop for hope. The future of fashion and food may not be doomed after all.