From GRDXKN® to mimicri

»Actually, I didn’t want it to turn out like this.« Bastian Mueller smiles when he talks about the development of his technology. To reinforce any sort of fabric, to control the characteristics of the material in order to make it more functional and to improve it visually – that was his idea.

So, the industrial designer from Munich started to experiment with screen printing, a method with which almost anything can be printed lastingly and permanently: from signs to porcelain up to fabrics.

During silkscreen printing a fine mesh (the screen) is worked in such a way that a stencil is formed. During printing, the ink is applied with the help of a squeegee. The secret of screen-printing lies in a type of expanding ink: its particular characteristics make it firm; it does not bleed after the application.

Bastian Mueller experimented with the composition of the printing ink and the printing method in order to develop and perfect his technique called GRDXKN®. Various structures can be printed onto all sorts of fabrics. What’s special: the inside is printed, which then becomes visible on the outside as a graphic pattern. There are many different design options, which can be individually tailored to the fabric that is to be printed. As the colour is based on water rather than solvents, it is ÖKOTEX certified.

However, at the outset, Bastian Mueller had not planned on the characteristic patterns: »Originally I did not want the structure to be visible on the outside. I had this idée fixe to reinforce the material without it being visible – but then I got compliments for the pattern because looked so original and interesting.« he says. »It’s intriguing.«

Not only can fabrics be reinforced and padded in this manner, its fall can also be influenced – a feature that is reminiscent of Origami. Years ago, Sandy Karstädt got to know Bastian Mueller in Milan and immediately recognised the potential of GRDXKN®. Together with her husband Stefan, she is the brain behind mimicri – the first bag and fashion label that reinterprets everyday accessories thanks to GRDXKN®. A collection of clothes and bags with a functional core came into being: products that concurrently play with the familiar and the enigmatic, skilfully combining innovation with individuality, that are modern yet timeless.

Illustration and text by Anuschka Rattunde