Lace & Latex

Designer Sara Linke combines lace and latex to show off the aesthetics of latex. The material is made by covering or coating lace with liquid latex to create a closed fabric, so that the lace takes on the latex’ characteristic sheen. The lace can also be bedewed with latex to keep the open structure of the fabric. Depending on how the materials are combined, other characteristics may change as well. These can be manipulated in different ways.

If the open, wrap-knitted textiles are dipped in the latex, the transparency, drape and feel of the new fabric depend on the thickness of the layer. Thin coatings produce a soft, supple drape, and make the fabric shimmer as frosted glass. Thick layers increase the rigidity of the textile, giving it rubber-like properties and making it opaque.

Different colour effects can be produced by mixing in dyes in the process. If the used lace has stretch properties, this is maintained in the process.

Read more about this material here.