How The Lab Works With the Realities of Modern Wardrobes

Clothes today are not what they used to be, and the care systems around them haven’t kept pace. We live with wardrobes that are increasingly hybrid; cotton woven with elastane for stretch; linen blended with recycled synthetics for stability; wools treated with anti-pilling enzyme washes; technical knits designed for thermoregulation; polycottons coated for water resistance; and increasingly, biomaterials that respond subtly to humidity; or artisanal pieces finished with low-impact dyes that behave differently on each batch.

We could go on ad nauseum; but you get the picture.

The garments we wear have evolved through a convergence of material science, performance engineering and aesthetic innovation, yet the care products available to most people still assume a world of simple cottons and stable synthetics. The LAB was created to bridge this gap by treating care as an extension of design, and as a means to uphold design integrity with a subsequent outcome of being ecologically supportive. We begin with the garment itself; what it is made of, how it is constructed, how it was dyed, finished, treated, bonded, washed, stressed and expected to age. We assess apparel, denim, hats, shoes and leather, and adjust our microbial ecosystems to protect the exact fibre needs, colour behaviours, finishes, coatings and structural stresses each category carries.

From there, our entire philosophy turns on the innate intelligence of microbial solutions. Unlike conventional detergents — built to overwhelm, strip, dissolve and chemically blast — probiotic systems operate through biological logic. Bacillus bacteria are seeded into our formulations, and once activated by water, they begin interacting with organic residues at a molecular level. They identify sweat compounds, sebum, odour molecules, plant oils, food debris and biofilm, and begin breaking them down through highly targeted enzymatic pathways. Instead of attacking the fibre, the bacteria metabolise what sits on the fibre. This is a fundamental reorientation; rather than dissolving everything in sight, microbes distinguish between the garment and the grime.

Enzymes form the second layer of intelligence. Our enzymes break down proteins, target fats and handle starch-based soils, all while gently lifting micro-pilling and revive fibre smoothness without compromising fabric strength. In conventional detergents, enzymes are often denatured by harsh surfactants, meaning they rarely perform at their intended capacity. In microbial systems, enzymes operate within a stable biological environment; so their activity persists long after the wash cycle ends, continuing to clean at a microscopic level for hours. This residual effect reduces odour formation, lessens fabric fatigue and extends the time between washes — directly contributing to garment longevity.

For biomaterials, performance fabrics and technical blends, this matters profoundly. Their fibres are often sensitive to pH swings, aggressive surfactants, bleaching agents and high mechanical agitation. Probiotic and enzyme-driven care maintains equilibrium instead of destabilising it; it works with the fibre’s own biological and chemical architecture. A wool-silk blend doesn’t need to be ‘handled carefully’ — it needs a system that understands protein fibres. A recycled nylon knit doesn’t need intense degreasing, it needs microbial mechanisms that maintain smoothness, and a treated denim doesn’t need abrasive surfactants; it needs enzymatic assistance that preserve indigo and reduce micro-shedding of its weft and warp.

This is the foundation of care intelligence. As materials continue to grow more adaptive and more biologically complex, their care must become equally attuned; fibre-literate, ecologically coherent and biologically aligned. Probiotics and enzymes offer precisely that: a responsive, materially sympathetic form of maintenance that supports the garment as it was originally conceived.

What ultimately sets The Lab apart is the belief that care is an act of design. Designers create garments with an intention; a specific drape, colour, silhouette, feel, performance, and lifespan. Our job is to extend that intention forward into daily life. Care is a continuation of the creative process, and it's why we treat our work as a cultural responsibility, alongside a sustainable and technological one, our care approach is a way of carrying the garment’s original purpose forward.

We build cleaning systems that are microbiome-positive, fibre-safe, gentle on finishes, and respectful of dye chemistry, because modern wardrobes deserve care that is as innovative as the materials themselves. In a world in which clothes are becoming more complex, care must become more sophisticated, more biologically attuned, and more aligned with how garments are actually made. The Lab exists to meet this reality with intelligence, respect, and design-led science; ensuring that every piece, regardless of how hybrid or experimental, can live its longest and fullest life.