It is possible that vegan alternatives to leather could save more than just animals. The scientists behind fashion's new must-have, the "mroom leather" handbag, believe that mycelium, a material grown from fungi which can be engineered to look and feel like calfskin or sheepskin, could help save the planet.
Dr Matt Scullin, CEO of MycoWorks, predicted that mushroom leather could be a sustainable game-changer when he spoke to the Guardian before his talk at the Business of Fashion Voices conference.
Fine Mycelium, a patented material which can be grown from fungi in trays in a matter of weeks, replicates the look and feel of leather while being stronger and more resistant to wear. The material made its high fashion debut as a handbag.
The same emotional response can be given by it. It has a hand-feel of rarity. On a planet of finite natural resources, Scullin believes both the technology and mindset of carbon-neutral, grown-to-order mushroom leather could be "revolutionary" and have implications for innovation in manufacture beyond fashion.
At the conference will be Scullin and Sheldrake. Sheldrake is joining the lineup because she wants to talk to people in creative industries about how the possibilities of fungi can help open the mind to new ideas. I'm excited to support the fashion world's efforts to become more sustainable. He said that there is a lot of potential in fungi to overcome some of the problems we face.
Sheldrake sees mushroom leather as an analogy for thinking creatively and sustainable. Mushroom leather can be grown in pieces to the specific shape and size required by a designer, eliminating the need for cutting room waste. Bovine leather wreaks more environmental damage than any other fabric, including plastic-based synthetic leather, due to the destruction of forests and emissions associated with animal rearing, according to a report by the Higg Materials Sustainability Index.
According to the Statista Consumer Market Outlook Luxury Leather Goods Report, sustainable alternatives could have a significant impact on fashion's footprint.
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It is this season's must-have bag. It was made from the fungus.
It's this season's must-have handbag and it's made from Fungi.
Bolt Threads is a California-based company that works with mushroom leather and is developing products with Adidas, as well as MycoWorks, which is another leading player in the mushroom leather market.
The kind of high- fashion design studios which work with double face Cashmere and silk organza use fungi-based leather, which is an exclusive material. The material needs to be accessible at a lower price point in order to have a significant impact. Scullin says that they are working with luxury fashion first because they are ahead of the curve. These brands are in a position to think long term.
MycoWorks is about to open a second factory in the US and is interested in partnerships with mass market brands. The material can be grown in trays in a few weeks, but bioscientists caution that design could undermine some of the environmental benefits. Hardware, trims, glues, and fastenings that are not biodegradeable would undermine the good the material was developed to achieve. There is a big problem in the industry with thinking about a finished product.
Sheldrake believes that one of the lessons learned from studying fungi is how we think about waste. Our planet would be piled high in the bodies of animals and plants if fungi didn't do what they do. He thinks that the impact on our culture could be much bigger than a new bag. Consumers have been trained to think of a straight line when buying something, savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay On many levels, fymes can inform thinking about fashion. This is about material innovation, but it is also about the culture of making endless new things, and what we can learn from thinking in terms of nature and of cycles instead.
