With giant brands like Adidas and Stella McCartney embracing the incredible potential of mycelium to replace animal-derived leather, it seems fungi will play a huge role in transitioning the fashion industry towards greener production practices. With that being said, it’s good to see that it’s not only the big retailers that are hopping onto the mushroom leather bandwagon — smaller ones are joining in on the trend as well.
Indonesian biotech startup MYCL is a good example. Since its launch last year, the company has been using mycelium — the fibrous roots of mushrooms — to produce a wide variety of products including watch straps, card tabs, wallets, lampshades, and sandals. Now the brand has enlarged its collection with the launch of a pair of good-looking vegan leather sneakers.
The sneakers, together with the brand’s other mycelium-based products, represent a statement against the dirty environmental impacts of the fashion industry and seek to offer a more ethical and greener alternative to animal-derived leather. “Future technology should be the technology that will make sure that there is a future for the next generations. Our innovation offers that,” says the company.
