Canadian premium athletic retailer Lululemon has become the latest brand to launch products made with Mylo, an alternative leather made from mycelium – the branching root network of fungus.
Through its partnership with US biotechnology company and Mylo producers, Bolt Threads, Lululemon has unveiled a new yoga collection featuring a woven yoga mat and two bags, a yoga bag and a duffel bag. The products will be available for purchase in early 2022.
The sportswear company indicated it would be producing new items with the mycelium-based material in October after becoming a member of Bolt Threads’ Mylo Consortium. Lululemon joins the likes of Adidas, Kering (the fashion house behind brands like Balenciaga, Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Bottega Veneta) and Stella McCartney in committing to using Mylo to create more eco-friendly products.
The use of Mylo is part of the brand’s wider commitment to using at least 75% sustainable materials in their products by 2025: “Sustainable innovation will continue to play a key role in the future of retail and product; and for us, leveraging a material like Mylo demonstrates our commitment to creating a healthier environment through lower-impact products, while also giving us the ability to reimagine iconic pieces in our line through a sustainability lens,” commented Sun Choe, chief product officer at Lululemon.
In addition to Mylo, Bolt Threads has created renewable spider silk-inspired materials, which are its B-Silk Protein for beauty products and Microsilk for textiles.
The use of mycelium in a variety of sustainable products has continued to rise in recent years as it is unique in that it is easy to both grow and shape into different forms. Earlier this year, a total of $100 million in funding was raised by Atlast Food Co. and Ecovative to create the world’s largest mycelium farm, which is set to produce 100 million pounds per year.
Furthermore, US mycelium-based alt meat brand Meati Foods this week raised $50 million in a Series B round, which follows a $28.2 million Series A round from September last year.