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Materials from mushroom leather to soy cashmere have generated quite the buzz over the past few years as alternatives to animal- and plastic-derived fabrics.
And despite challenges, some purveyors of biomaterials tech, like Matt Scullin, CEO at MycoWorks—a biotechnology company that produces leather-like products using a process involving mycelium—are feeling optimistic about its future.
In a recent interview with WWD, Scullin spoke about how materials like recycled polyester and epi leather—created with a “plant-extract tanning process”—are transforming the fashion and luxury landscape.
Although some retailers, like LVMH and Dolce & Gabbana, are investing in the space, Scullin encourages them to not compromise on quality. “Leather had hundreds of years to reach the product quality level it has today,” he told WWD. “Mycelium is now reaching it in mere decades. Companies that cut corners by making plastic-based materials, whether mycelium or other plant fibers, won’t finish the marathon.”
Further touting its ethical and environmentally sustainable qualities, Scullin explained why products like his are a safe bet for the future as consumers grow more eco-conscious. “Demand for new biomaterials is strong and only growing stronger, and that’s why billions of dollars of investment continue to pour into this field by major brands and financiers alike,” he said. “Consumers are demanding materials that represent their modern values—such as mycelium—while brands are searching for ways to meet their aggressive climate commitments.”
Coming in hot: And Scullin is not alone in this belief. Aside from fashion brands that are financing research in the sector, experts believe the next gen fabrics have a real shot at becoming scalable in the future.
“We’re really excited about what the fashion houses are doing. The very high-end ones have the resources to test this out in the market,” Lizzie Horvitz, CEO and founder of Finch, a digital sustainability tool, previously told Retail Brew. “Regardless of the specific technology, when people who buy from LVMH are getting on board, that means that it can trickle down to all levels of fashion…Because if LVMH can do it, that means that H&M will be able to do it in five years, and it becomes more accessible, really, to everybody.”