We are constantly researching and exploring new and innovative materials. In this article, we look at the history of Mushroom leather and how it has already caught the attention of top fashion houses. Could this organic material be the answer we have been looking for?
It was in 2013 that Danish product designer Jonas Edvard developed organic mushroom textiles using mushroom spores and plant fibres. The material called MYX, from mycelium, was created using the waste material from commercial oyster mushroom production. After harvesting the mushrooms, Edvard discovered that the remaining material could be shaped and dried out. 1
To standardise the material and make it useful for multiple applications, Edvard tested growing the material on different substrates. Ultimately, he settled on using a fibre mat with a mix of hemp and linen fibres.
What is Mycelium?
Mycelium is the vegetative part of a fungus, consisting of a network of fine white filaments. Mycelium can grow in almost any agriculture waste, including sawdust and pistachio shells.
There are several ways to make mushroom leather, and these techniques are still being enhanced today. The potential of this material is far-reaching, and it could replace certain plastics and reduce the need for animal agriculture to supply leather. Below, we look at how mushroom leather is made for various applications.
The Jonas Edvard Myx Mushroom Lamp
Jonas Edvard is a Danish Product Designer educated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Denmark. His work focused on research into raw and natural materials. It was in 2013 that he first presented his work with mycelium and he exhibited the MYX Lamp and MYX Textile material samples at MaterialXperience in Jan 2014.
The lamps consist of plant fibre and mushroom-mycelium. The lamp was grown into shape over a period of 2-3 weeks. The mushroom mycelium grew together with the plant fibres into a flexible and soft living textile.
The mushroom mycelium stabilizes the construction by physically growing together the material and behaving as a glue between the fibres. The MYX consists of waste – the mushroom organism comes from a commercial mushroom farm and the plant fibres are a leftover material from the textile industry. MYX is an optimized end-waste product with a nutritious food product during the growing cycle.
After two weeks, you can harvest the healthy Oyster mushrooms. The waste product ‘shaped as a lamp’ can then be dried and used as a lightweight material, which is organic, compostable and sustainable. 2
Mushrooms for building insulation
An earlier development with mushrooms was for a completely different application. Troy Eben Bayer grew up on a farm in Vermont, learning the intricacies of mushroom harvesting with his father. After graduating from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, he began using that experience to create organic building insulation made from mushrooms.
Combining his agricultural knowledge with colleague Gavin McIntyre’s interest in sustainable technology, the two created their patented “Greensulate” formula, an organic, fire-retardant board made from water, flour, oyster mushroom spores and perlite, a mineral blend found in potting soil.
Here is how it works
A mixture of water, mineral particles, starch, and hydrogen peroxide is poured into 7-by-7-inch moulds and then injected with living mushroom cells. The hydrogen peroxide prevents the growth of other specimens within the material.
Placed in a dark environment, the cells start to grow, digesting the starch as food and sprouting thousands of root-like cellular strands. The process is fast. A 1-inch-thick panel of insulation can be grown within two weeks. It is then dried to prevent fungal growth, and according to Bayer, this makes it unlikely to trigger mould and fungus allergies. The finished product resembles a giant cracker in texture. 3
Mushroom textiles today
Today we know far more about growing mushroom for textiles and there are innovators who are looking to upscale production. One such company was created by Bayer and McIntyre and better known as Ecovative Design, a company dedicated to growing materials that can be used for packaging, skincare, textiles and apparel.
The team at Ecovative Design partnered with high-performance textile developers Bolt Threads to make their innovative materials more accessible to the fashion industry. Bolt Threads aims to turn innovative materials into mainstream textiles by working with brands such as Stella McCartney and Adidas.
Mylo™ is the mushroom textile developed by Bolt Threads. It is a supple yet durable material that has the potential to biodegrade and replace real and synthetic leather. The material can be produced in days rather than years too, which significantly reduces its environmental impact.
The production process to make mushroom textiles fits perfectly with the ethos of the circular economy and is fully sustainable. Mushroom fibres are natural and biodegradable at the end of the life cycle.
Mushroom textiles also completely remove the need for industrial animal agriculture which is the primary required for leather. The positive impact goes far beyond this though. The materials which are used to grow the mycelium can be waste materials and furthermore, the waste generated from the production of the mushroom can be reused and repurposed.
Mushroom leather is an environmentally friendly fabric because it can be grown and produced without polluting substances and once you are finished, it's 100% biodegradable and compostable.
The final materials are extremely lightweight and flexible, too, which makes them effective for a wide range of applications.
Although the term vegan leather is not accepted everywhere and by everyone, it does mean we can instantly understand the concept of the material and its possible uses.
Fashion accessories
Mushroom textiles have already begun to be used to replace animal leather. In March 2021 French powerhouse Hermès unveiled their Victoria travel bag made in part with fungi-derived material and paired it with canvas and calf leather.
Mushroom for footwear
German company nat-2 is creating high-end, vegan shoes made from fungus. The concept and material were developed by Berlin-based designer Nina Fabert of vegan materials company Zvnder. The leather component of the shoe is made from Tinder Fungus, a mushroom that is mostly forgotten.
The shoe is made with a combination of eco-cotton terry cloth, microfiber suede from recycled bottles, cork, and rubber. This alternative to animal leather—which the brand says has a “vintage look” and a soft texture—is environmentally friendly, organic, vegan, gluten-free-, and chemical-free. 4
Brodo Launches the First Mushroom Shoes with MYLEA™
Footwear occupies 70% of the market share for the application of leather in the global market. Indonesian sneaker brand BRODO wants to break this stigma with plans to launch the first shoe from Mushroom Leather using
MYLEA™, a material which is produced by MYCL (Mycotech Lab), a bio-material start-up.
Brodo is a shoe brand that is well known for using leather but recognises the increasingly urgent sustainability issue and the contribution that the livestock and leather industries make to climate change. Now, they are aiming to make better shoes, not leather shoes, and Mushroom leather is a good way to do that.
The Mushroom leather from MYLEA™ is made from agroforestry waste and is fully processed using non-harmful chemicals which are free of heavy metal compounds like chromium, which are often used in the leather tanning industry.
Mushroom leather clothing
Mushroom textile for clothing is not mainstream just yet, but in Spring 2021, we had a glimpse of what our fashion future might look like. The first ever mushroom leather clothing was launched by Stella McCartney using Mylo™.
The future of Mushroom Leather
Mushroom textiles certainly have a future in many industries. It can already be found in clothing and bags, and even durable furniture and building bricks. Mycelium is carbon-negative and can be naturally dyed in any colour.
Fabric created from mycelium is non-toxic, waterproof, and fire-resistant. It can be as thin as paper for dresses and lampshades or incredibly thick for heavy-duty items, and in both cases, the result is remarkably flexible and strong.
With so much potential, is it any wonder that so many companies are now working to make this remarkable material part of our everyday lives?
The process of making mushroom leather can reduce water usage (when compared to animal leather), by up to 99%, which includes the water used to grow, and dye the final material.
Mushroom leather is no longer a concept material, biotech start-ups like the ones listed above, are producing Mushroom Leather, but are not producing it at scale yet.
Mushroom leather is just one of many materials being developed to lower our environmental impact. Although few are fully biodegradable, many contain a percentage of organic material. For example, apple leather and corn leather are both made with more than 50% organic material. Pinatex utilises the waste material from the pineapple industry. It is made entirely from plant material, but its durability does limit how it can be used.
For now, designers must continue to balance the need for sustainability and a circular economy with the consumer demand for value and longevity. One thing is for certain, though: with textile development moving at the current pace, it will not be long before many more organic-based materials will be fully biodegradable.
Follow us on:
REFERENCES:
[updated 13th April 2022]
