Mylo unleather is everything you love about leather without everything you (and the planet) don’t

 

 

Kering, adidas, lululemon, and Stella McCartney are ushering in a more sustainable future for fashion via biotechnology.

The future of sustainable materials

Made from infinitely renewable mycelium, Bolt Threads’ Mylo is an innovative material that looks and feels like leather. Bolt Threads, the biotechnology company creating the next generation of advanced materials, announced the creation of an unprecedented consortium with iconic global companies who have secured exclusive access to its innovative material, Mylo.

Made from infinitely renewable mycelium – the branching underground structure of mushrooms – 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.

 

Mylo: High-Tech Science + Low Environmental Impact

The consortium unites four iconic and forward-thinking companies – adidas, Kering luxury group, lululemon, and Stella McCartney – who collectively represent hundreds of millions of square feet of potential demand for Mylo.

As Bolt Threads CEO Dan Widmaier said, this is an ongoing commitment to develop materials and products for a more sustainable future. Consortium partners were drawn to Mylo because of its remarkable resemblance to soft, supple leather. Mylo can be used like animal or synthetic leather and can take on any color, finish or emboss. The first Mylo products will be available for purchase in stores and online starting in 2021.

“Many people associate leather with luxury but since the beginning, I always wanted to approach things in a different way because killing animals for the sake of fashion is quite simply not acceptable. Working so closely with Bolt Threads since 2017 has been a career changing experience and I cannot wait to launch Mylo products to market in 2021,” said Stella McCartney, Founder and Creative Director.

“I have always been convinced that innovation is key to addressing the sustainability challenge that Luxury is facing. Finding innovative, alternative materials and fabrics can potentially drastically reduce the environmental impact of our industry over the long term. This is why Kering is actively looking for innovations in this field and it’s why we became an early supporter of Bolt Threads. Mylo is one of the very promising solutions that we have identified,” said François-Henri Pinault, Chairman & CEO, Kering.

“For too long the industry standard has categorized materials as either natural or highly functional – but not both. The way to remedy this is to innovate responsibly with solutions that challenge the status quo, and products that use the best of what nature has spent millions of years perfecting – like Mylo – are critical to that,” said James Carnes, VP Global Brand Strategy at adidas. “We hope this inspires others to join forces, as a more sustainable future is something that no brand can create alone.”

“At lululemon, we are committed to making products and operating our business in an innovative, sustainable way for our guests. The Mylo consortium demonstrates how leading global brands can collaborate across industries to be part of a lasting solution to restore a healthy environment. We firmly believe that innovation and sustainability are key to the future of retail,” said Sun Choe, Chief Product Officer, lululemon.