Barbara Rakovská: Sustainable Fashion and Biodesign Innovation

Barbara Rakovská is a forward-thinking designer and researcher who operates at the intersection of fashion, art, and biotechnology. Based in Prague, her practice focuses on the creation of sustainable, environmentally friendly products using innovative biomaterials. Through her work, Barbara Rakovská explores the profound relationship between design and the human body, emphasizing ethical considerations and health-centric outcomes. Her approach is characterized by rigorous material experimentation, particularly with root-based textiles, mycelium, and bioplastics like those derived from starch, gelatin, and casein. Key projects in Barbara Rakovská’s portfolio include Amber Grain, a speculative fashion collection that honors artisanal heritage through root-embroidered textiles, and SOILSKIN, which integrates biotechnological components into renewable garments designed for a climate-challenged future. Her research also extends to architectural interiors, as seen in the WAVY project, where she developed acoustic panels from drywall-based mycocomposites in collaboration with Skanska. This project highlights her cradle-to-cradle approach to material reuse and circular design. Barbara Rakovská’s academic background includes studies at the Faculty of Architecture CTU and participation in the Fabricademy program at Fab Lab Barcelona. Her work has been recognized in competitions such as Reborn Design and showcased at prestigious events like Zlin Design Week and Maker Faire Sardinia. By blending traditional craftsmanship with emerging technologies like 3D printing and additive manufacturing, Barbara Rakovská aims to inspire a new generation of designers toward a more thoughtful and regenerative future. She continues to explore site-specific material investigations, using natural resources like grains and wool to develop dyes and biomaterials that reflect environmental cycles.