We’ve entered the fourth industrial revolution – and it’s at the intersection of biology and technology. At least that’s what Vogue, Business of Fashion, and designers galore claim. And I happen to agree with them. For the last half decade there’s been a steady development of biomaterials startups competing and collaborating to tackle the fashion industry’s biggest environmental issues. Despite its rapid development, the biofabrication space is nascent and adaptation has been slow. Over the course of the next few pieces, I’ll be exploring the fashion industry’s new love affair with biofabrication, and this one is here to stay.

Biofabrication envisions a world where we use nature’s biological manufacturing systems to rapidly innovate how we wear clothes. As my Digital Revolution professor Walter Isaacson always says, the world’s greatest innovations come from the collaboration between the arts and the sciences. Here designers and scientists come together to innovate and to make a new future into reality. These developments should excite all of us because of their potential to impact various industry sectors, not just textiles. Other than being petroleum-free and biodegradable, biofabricated fabrics mitigate the need for heavy amounts of chemicals and water needed in the processing of other traditional fabrics like cotton and leather.[i]

Ditching many of the chemical processes involved in textile production, many companies are opting for clothes made by “living factories:” mycelium, yeast, bacteria, and algae.[ii] Of these natural factories, many companies have opted to develop the power of mycelium. Mycelium is the complex network of underground fibers originating from mushrooms.

Mycelium has number of early adopters in the arts and fashion space including Mogu - which over the years has created a range of applications for mycelium fibers from art panels to flooring.[iii] MycoWorks, whose founder has worked at the intersection of art, design, and biotechnology, patented Reishi Fine Mycelium as a natural alternative to leather.[iv] One company in particular, Bolt Threads has manufactured a process that can grow and transform natural Mycelium fibers into a high-quality alternative for animal and synthetic-based leather called Mylo.

[Photo: Stella McCartney & Bolt Threads]

Bolt Threads, a materials solution company, brings to life and into the mainstream its leather alternative fabric through a consortium with early adaptors in Adidas, Lululemon, and Stella McCartney.[v] Over the past 4-5 years, Bolt Threads has continued to scale its process and in 2020 introduced Mylo, an “un-leather” made from mycelium. Earlier this year, Stella McCartney also debuted its first line of products made with Mylo fabric.[vi] Though not for retail purchase yet, this collaboration exhibits the promise of a biofabricated future. Adidas also announced the integration of Mylo into their iconic Stan Smith sneakers, with a limited product drop coming soon. It’s a step towards Adidas’ mission to end plastic waste. Though progress is slow, Mylo is disrupting the fashion industry by partnering with the industry’s biggest trendsetters and change-makers. These products are just the first in line of many that will soon be available for consumption. It’s the start of a biofabricated future.

Mycelium is a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional hide leather; it consumes less land and emits fewer greenhouse gasses.[vii] Unlike the need for large swaths of land and other resources needed to raise cattle, the process used to create Mylo requires mulch, air, and water. There is no need for animals or animal by-products, and it can be produced in days. Once Bolt Threads harvest the mycelium, they process and dye the mycelium into Mylo. Arguably Mylo’s greatest upside, and one that everyday consumers most care about, is its unmistakable resemblance to animal leather. This fabric can take on any color or texture and is just as nimble and soft as leather, but obviously with the lower environmental impact.

Quite simply, Mylo and other biofabricated materials are the future of fashion. Despite the growing number of biofabricated products and high-profile collaborations, there’s still a way to go before biofabrication takes over the fashion industry. Though it’s not just hype, there are still challenges designers, innovators, and even consumers must overcome. Right now biofabricated products like Mylo are only available to large brands because startups require large brands to help subsidize “the massive costs that come with developing a novel process and building a supply chain” and developing products to commercial scale.[viii] Simply, startups like Bolt Threads, MycoWorks, and others are working at economies of scale. As designer and leading architect of the biofabrication movement in fashion Suzanne Lee advises “We’re at the dawn of a new age where we can biodesign and biofabricate. But we all need to be patient.”[ix]

There are obvious issues of price with any new technology. Biofabricated products require years of R&D, which means the need for increasing investment to accomplish commercial scale-up. Due to the nature of low-scale production of new technologies like Mylo in earlier stages and greater initial investment, consumers must pay more for the first pieces to hit the market. Because most biofabricated fabrics are still in development, with few like Mylo beginning to scale up, there’s little data available regarding full life cycle environmental impact assessments and product longevity.[x] While most products are advertised as biodegradable, it is unclear what processes prevail.

But these are growing pains that any new technology experiences. The good news is innovation is all about timing, and the fashion industry has finally come to a place where sustainability is imperative, and the world’s leading luxury and sports brands are investing heavily into biofabrication startups.[xi] The success of the biofabrication revolution will no doubt come down to the ability of fabrics to feel and perform at the same level as environmentally un-friendly products. It’s unrealistic to expect biofabrication becoming the norm in the fashion industry over the next 2-3 years. It will take the few very successful companies years to scale up and properly compete against existing norms. What’s clear though is the grasp biofabrication has on the fashion industry and the likelihood that it will only continue to grow. Consumers should be excited for the prospects of a greener future and though no doubt these products will take time to fully reach industrial scale, the use of biological manufacturing systems will take hold in many facets of our lives.

[i] https://nextnature.net/story/2020/interview-suzanne-lee-2

[ii] https://www.commonobjective.co/article/what-are-biofabrics-and-how-sustainable-are-they

[iii] https://mogu.bio/

[iv] https://www.madewithreishi.com/products

[vi] https://www.mylo-unleather.com/

[vii] https://www.mylo-unleather.com/

[viii] https://www.mylo-unleather.com/

[ix] https://www.mylo-unleather.com/faq#why-is-mylo-only-available-to-big-major-brands

[x] https://nextnature.net/story/2020/interview-suzanne-lee-2

[xi] https://www.commonobjective.co/article/what-are-biofabrics-and-how-sustainable-are-they

[xii] https://nextnature.net/story/2020/interview-suzanne-lee-2

The Future of Fashion & Sustainability | 3 A Biofabrication Revolution

The Future of Fashion & Sustainability | 4 Greener Fabrics

The Future of Fashion & Sustainability | 2 Collaboration & Impact, Competition to Tackle Climate Change