Bio leather is a game-changing material in fashion, which is going to replace animal and plastic leather sooner or later. The bio leather material is made from fungi, cactus, grapes and other plants. It has outstanding characteristics: it’s biodegradable, needs less water at the production stage, and is non-toxic compared to plastic/synthetic leather. And the icing on the cake? It looks and feels similar to animal leather, has long-lasting durability and costs basically the same as real leather.
So far, there are three famous biomaterial companies producing bio leather for big fashion brands:
- Bolt Threads is a US biotechnology company which specializes in creating biomaterials. One of these is Mylo Unleather . Mylo is made from mycelium, the underground root-like system of mushrooms which can be used to create a leather-like material. Mycelium is a really versatile substance that can create any type of leather look and feel: calf, croco and soft touch, for example. And it’s totally biodegradable.
- Vegea is a biomaterial company from Italy. They use grape seeds, which through an innovative processing method can be turned into grape leather. The leather looks identical to real leather, has a smooth feel and is really durable. But unlike conventional leather it’s environmentally friendly, non-toxic and non-polluting.
- Desserto is a highly sustainable company from Mexico which makes leather from cactus. The cactus leather is a biodegradable, environmentally friendly, non-toxic organic material which has high durability and is similar to animal leather in look. Plus, it has a soft touch characteristic that feels similar to animal leather.
Stella McCartney, which is well-known for its leather-free and fur-free apparel, was one of the first brands to start experimenting with bio leather in its collections. The Frayme Mylo Bag was its first bag made from fungi, in black color with gold and silver hardware.
Ganni, a Dutch ready-to-wear fashion brand, is going to stop using animal leather by 2023. Using grape leather from Vegea, Ganni has created shoes for its Spring/Summer 2022 collection.
The Kering group, which includes 12 luxury brands, is part of the bio-leather revolution too, and has announced on its instagram account that it will stop using animal fur from the Fall 2022 collections onwards. This includes brands like Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen and Brioni. Kering brands are creating some products made from Mylo’s fungi leather, but Kering also has its own leather-like material in development. Demetra is an innovative, animal-free and bio-based source material that has excellent quality, high durability and an eco-friendly essence.
These sneakers were made from Demetra.
Givenchy has kept in step with the biomaterial times and integrated bio leather into its beauty product packages. Its Liquid Balm lids are made from cactus leather.
Fossil Group, which encompasses 14 brands, including Fossil, has used cactus leather for some bags and accessories. The Kier Cactus Leather Tote is made of cactus leather.
