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Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

Op-Ed | Fashion’s Materials Revolution Is Here to Stay

The industry needs next-generation materials to meet its climate commitments, and quality, not capital, is the most important nut to crack, argues MycoWorks CEO Matthew Scullin.
A woman glance sideways at the camera wearing a statement oversized trench coat made using MycoWorks' mycelium material as part of a capsule by Swedish brand Deadwood Studios.
A coat made using MycoWorks' mycelium material as part of a capsule by Swedish brand Deadwood Studios. (Per Nilsson)
By
  • Matthew Scullin

Over the past 10 years, some $3 billion has poured into innovating the fabric of the fashion industry, driving excitement around next-generation materials like mushroom leather, lab-brewed fibres and recycled textiles.

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Further Reading

Would You Buy a Mushroom Handbag?

For the first time, brands including Stella McCartney, Balenciaga and Hermès are bringing products made of buzzy mushroom-based materials to market, a critical test for whether the next-generation fabrics could one day hit the mainstream.

The Truth About ‘Vegan Leather’

Leather alternatives have been boosted as eco-innovation and dismissed as mere plastic, but the truth is more complicated than that and demands clearer marketing to avoid misleading consumers.

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