California-based biotechnology company, Bolt Threads announced the creation of a consortium with iconic global companies – including adidas, Kering, lululemon, and Stella McCartney – who have secured exclusive access to its innovative material, Mylo™ made from infinitely renewable mycelium – the branching underground structure of mushrooms – but looks and feels like leather.
The brand partners will begin bringing products featuring Mylo to market in 2021.
Consortium partners were reportedly drawn to Mylo because of its remarkable resemblance to soft, supple leather. Mylo can be used like animal-based or synthetic leather and can take on any color, finish or emboss.
The process of finding the right brand partners was highly selective, based on mission alignment and a demonstrated commitment to sustainability. The four selected companies appreciate that Mylo is developed from the ground up with environmental impact at the forefront.
Mylo is created using a highly efficient grow process that is intentionally designed to be low impact – taking less than two weeks to grow, emitting fewer greenhouse gases and using less water and resources than animal leather. The process begins with mycelium cells grown on beds of sawdust and other organic material. Billions of cells grow to form an interconnected 3D network which is processed, tanned, and dyed to make Mylo.
According to Bolt Threads, it will undertake a full impact life cycle assessment of Mylo prior to large scale commercial rollout. The company noted that Mylo’s processing and finishing chemistries are intentionally evaluated and selected using Green Chemistry principles. Mylo is not currently available for sale beyond its exclusive consortium partners, but Bolt Threads noted that it is working to increase supply to work with additional brands and designers in the future.
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