There’s not mushroom left for leather in the fashion industry!
In March, the biotech company MycoWorks announced a collaboration with Hermés on the creation of Sylvania, a new natural material made from fungus, to reinvent the famous Victoria bag. The “mushroom leather” or mycelium leather is making headlines as it paves the way for a greener future in fashion.
Photo: MycoWorks on Facebook
It is no secret that the fashion industry is taxing on the environment and there is an urgent demand for a solution. Consumer’s attitudes have changed and transparency is massively important for brands that plan on sticking around for the future of fashion. Biotechnology has provided a solution for Hermés on this pressing matter.
Mycelium, the root structure of fungus, has become a big deal as it presents possibilities to eliminate leather from the fashion vocabulary. Fine Mycelium is produced at the MycoWorks facilities in California. The lab controls the conditions for the fungus and it can take as little as two weeks to grow. Compared to the many years and resources that cow leather requires, Mycelium is an exciting advancement that has plenty of room for innovations.
The fact that luxury brands are turning to Fine Mycelium means it’s not just an eco-friendly alternative, but it is also proof of its remarkable quality. Now Hermés, a brand renowned for its leather crafts, takes on this new material. The collaboration is expected to launch in late 2021.
Other luxury brands like Iris van Herpen and Stella McCartney are turning to fungus for a greener approach. Mycelium is being shaped to fit the creative visions of these futuristic designers. It is being used for gowns, tops and trousers.
Photo: Iris Van Herpen on Facebook
We wait expectantly to see the promising future of Fine Mycelium. Is this discovery going to change fashion history?
