Luxury fashion group Kering has announced that from next year, none of its fashion houses will use real animal fur. This includes Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen, Brioni, and Saint Laurent.
Balenciaga Partners With GOZEN to Use Animal-Free Material Made by Microorganisms
Following substantial controversy in the media since November of last year, French fashion house Balenciaga has joined forces with US biomaterials startup GOZEN to make garments from an animal-free and plastic-free material made by microorganisms. Called LUNAFORM, the material is formed when microorganisms make ultra-crystalline patterns with the aid of nutrients and natural agents. While plant-based leather alternatives are typically made from a mixture of materials, LUNAFORM comes from a single process, meaning it is stronger than most of its competitors — including animal leather. Balenciaga has used the material to design its Maxi Bathrobe Coat, part of the fashion house’s Summer 24 collection. The coat was recently exhibited at Paris Fashion Week and follows two years of collaboration between the companies, with GOZEN working …