Balenciaga Presents First EPHEA Piece Ever Made in Fashion

Balenciaga presents the first EPHEA piece ever made in fashion, a Maxi Hooded Wrap Coat.

This is the first time such a substance has been applied to fashion, and the first time one has achieved such high-level features, in terms of volume, thickness and overall homogeneity.

Made from the vegetative body of a mushroom that uses minimal resources and emits trace amounts of CO₂, it is engineered to diminish an ecological footprint without compromising quality. The Maxi Hooded Wrap Coat made with EPHEA is available in selected Balenciaga stores.

“The Kering-owned fashion house is the latest luxury brand to use mycelium instead of leather as the industry dabbles with alternative materials.

“Made from bio-based material Ephea and on sale for €9,000 starting today, the coat marks the luxury brand’s first release using a leather alternative made from mycelium, and is the first commercially available garment to be made using Ephea.” notes Vogue.

EPHEA is a new materials’ family produced through fermentation-based proprietary processes.

Mogu Srl, the material innovation Company known for its biofabricated and circular products for interior architecture and green building, has announced today the launch of EPHEA back in March.

EPHEA has been revealed for the first time at Paris Fashion Week, during Balenciaga Winter 2022 runway show, where an exclusive floor-length coat realised with EPHEA has been presented. EPHEA is a class of alternative flexible materials which derive from the combination between unique biotechnological processes and advanced material science. EPHEA is truly responsible, functional, high quality, cruelty-free materials, for fashion and beyond.

Engineered to diminish an ecological footprint without compromising quality or technical performance, EPHEA is made from the vegetative body of mushrooms. Specifically, it is woven from an abundant, quickly growing organism that uses minimal resources and emits trace amounts of CO2 as it feeds on low-value agro-industrial residue. Bio-fabricated using a proprietary process, EPHEA, used in this collection for a floor-length coat, is an organic, viable alternative to leather that is finished with a sustainable treatment.

Thanks to the prestigious partnerships activated with tanneries, manufacturers, and brands, EPHEA has been validated and recognised as the leading mycelium-based alternative, suitable to be employed for the creation of high-end fashion products. Such validation has now culminated in Balenciaga’s launch.