Stella McCartney Debuts The World's First Vegan Mycelium Leather Bag!
British designer Stella McCartney has once again teamed up with Bolt Threads to launch the world's first-ever luxury bag made with vegan mushroom leather! This is a landmark moment for the future of luxury fashion, and especially for the conscious fashion industry. This mycelium-based leather boasts a much lower environmental impact than animal leather, and is made with renewable ingredients in a factory running on 100% renewable energy.
Bolt Threads' and Stella McCartney's shared passion for sustainable fashion has led to the implementation of this next-generation material in the new Frayme Mylo Bag, which will be available for purchase here. Made with this revolutionary alternative to leather and a recyclable aluminum chain strap, it's a major step toward a much kinder fashion industry. The initial launch will be a 100-bag limited test run, but McCartney hopes to integrate it into their main collection by 2023.
What Is Bolt Threads?
A material solutions company with a passion for sustainable material innovation, California-based Bolt Threads develops plant-based alternatives to leather and silk for innovative designers in the vegan luxury fashion sector.
So far, they've created a bio-based leather alternative and a vegan silk alternative, known as Mylo and Microsilk, respectively. These luxurious materials have so far been used by major brands like Stella McCartney, Adidas, Lululemon, Chester Wallace, and others in high-fashion design.
The applications for Bolt Threads' materials have ranged from a concept yoga mat to reimagined iconic sneakers. However, their far-reaching impact is expected to grow and transform the future of fashion with more commercial offerings each year.
What Is Mylo?
Bolt Threads' current star product, lab-grown Mylo™️ mushroom leather is an innovative material used to replace both animal and plastic-based synthetic leather!
How Is Mylo Produced?
This vegan leather is made with a network of fungal threads called mycelium, which grow into a firm, foamy layer. These layers are harvested in Bolt Threads' vertical farming facility, then tanned and dyed.
What Makes Mycelium More Sustainable?
The resulting mycelium-based materials resemble animal leather to near perfection. They're just as soft, durable, and supple, but instead made with an organic material that requires much less natural resources and fossil fuels for its production. Mycelium is infinitely renewable, and the company's vertical farming facilities run on 100% renewable energy. Mylo's environmental benefits are endless, and so are its applications.
By making renewable mycelium the raw material for their leather, Bolt Threads can provide sustainable solutions to brands that seek to revolutionize the fashion industry of tomorrow with an animal-free alternative.
Mycelium in the Fashion Industry
Not all mycelium producers have been able to achieve Bolt Threads' results. Stella McCartney has supported the brand for years, and is just beginning to implement their materials in a commercially viable product. Why is this?
It turns out that previous versions of mycelium leather could not match the durability of animal leather, or were too stiff to be used for handbags. However, as more producers experiment with this material, we can expect it to improve and turn into an accessible alternative to animal leather!
Would you purchase Stella McCartney's new Frayme Mylo Bag? Let us know in the comments section below!