A “T. rex leather” handbag will be on display at Amsterdam’s Art Zoo Museum until May 11, before heading to auction.
Scientists took protein fragments from T. rex remains and reconstructed the missing sections of the collagen sequence to produce a genetic blueprint.
That synthesised DNA allowed scientists to engineer billions of cells and cultivate them into the leather-like material. Techwear label Enfin Levé then turned that raw output into the finished bag.
Critics are less than impressed, however
While this feat is nothing short of historic (wink-wink), some are sceptical, reports De Telegraaf.
No, not because they fear a Jurassic Park-style dinosaur handbag takeover of Amsterdam — you can rest easy on that front.
Instead, several experts have raised serious objections about the claim that the material is a true reconstruction of ‘dinosaur leather.’
It comes down to the science. Firstly, the collagen used to produce the material originates in fossilised skeletal matter.
Why is this important? Well, the fossil collagen used survives in 2026 only as tiny, heavily degraded fragments. Plus, skeletal collagen has a fundamentally different molecular structure from the fibrous layers that give conventional leather its durability and feel.
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The critics’ conclusion: what has been produced here is something informed by prehistoric biology, not a reconstruction of it.
A handbag (millions of) years in the making
The project was created by three main actors: a creative agency known as VML, genomic engineering firm The Organoid Company, and biotech outfit Lab-Grown Leather Ltd.
Their position on the ‘authenticity’ of the leather is that it represents the upper limit of what biotechnology can currently extract from a 66-million-year-old specimen.
Whether that’s an achievement worth showcasing, we’ll let you decide for yourself.
Once the exhibition closes in May, the piece goes under the hammer.
The three companies plan to continue producing the material commercially, targeting luxury accessories first and, eventually, broader sectors such as fashion and automotive.
Think the sceptics have a point, or is the science impressive enough regardless? Let us know in the comments.
