Fungi Fashion - the new material everyone talks about

Photo: Bolt Threads

One of the latest innovations when it comes to sustainable textile materials comes from fungi. But before we dig deeper into this new “eco-friendly” material, as often labelled, we want to remind our readers of something important. When a fashion company changes its materials it doesn’t make the company itself sustainable. If you still produce a huge quantity of clothes not being sold, if you still produce clothes in poor quality that doesn’t last and if you still produce clothes that are meant to be exchanged in a short period of time, you haven’t understood sustainability. The material might be better but the company does not have a sustainable business model. Further, since so many clothes have been produced already and are still out there waiting for a new owner instead of being tossed into landfills, it will always be a better choice for consumers to choose second hand first hand.

Never the less, fashion brands needs to start somewhere and if materials are being exchanged it can result in great quantity reduction of both CO2, water use and chemicals usage. The efforts shouldn’t be considered as useless because they’re not and they are very important for a transition to a more sustainable industry. A Sustainable Closet wants to inspire you to make a better choice through education of the complexities, possibilities but also the risk of greenwashing. New materials are in the greenwashing risk zone but still essential for a transition.

So where were we, back to Fungi..

Photo: Material District

Photo: Ecovative

Fungi textile material

The material is made in a process called bio-fabrication which means it’s grown in a lab. Fungi root system, called mycelium, is being harvested for the process. The result is a leather-like material that can be used for both clothes and furnitures. It is vegan friendly and in many cases approved by PETA. Some of the materials that have been created using this technique are Mylo, Muskin and MycoTEX. One of the pioneering companies are Ecovative. Not only textiles but fungi also replaces plastic for packaging and several construction materials thanks to the MycoComposite, which a technology that upcycles farming and forestry byproducts through the power of mycelium. These materials and technologies are currently already being used by several fashion brands.

The materials have different characteristics but they are all harmless and waterproof. The process requires very little water, it is easily disposable and it’s often biodegradable. The process of growing the materials take several weeks which means that this must be considered, if brands wants to use this material. But hey, we think this goes very much hand in hand with the aspects of slow fashion, to have a slow business too.

We will see how long it takes for all polyester and cotton material to be fully replaced by recycled and more environmentally friendly ones, but we definitely believe this fungi material has a bigger role to play considering it’s environmental benefits and huge potential to replace the leather industry.

This is how Stella McCartney celebrates fungi in their summer collection:

“Fungi are everywhere, even if we do not see them – in the soil and in the air. Many experts suggest that when our ancestors ate psilocybin-infused magic mushrooms, it opened their minds to spirituality, culture and language. Fungi connect us all, rooted in our species’ past and offering hope for our shared tomorrow.

Despite their importance to Earth’s ecosystems and potential for innovations across medicine, food and materials, 90% of fungi species remain undocumented. Mushrooms do not get the attention they deserve, largely because many do not understand them or are afraid of them.

Our Summer 2022 collection chooses to optimistically celebrate fungi – as the future, not only of fashion, but our planet. Starting with this powerful notion, Stella McCartney Summer 2022 takes a psychedelic trip into nature. The campaign was shot by iconic creative duo Mert and Marcus at the Marqueyssac gardens in the South of France and at the Espace Niemeyer in Paris – this season's runway show venue. The space gives the sense of being in a mushroom cap, an iconic nod to Oscar Niemeyer’s artistic expression and openness.”