"As we enter a new age of industry innovation, we dig deeper into the biotech fabrics that could be infiltrating your wardrobe in the years to come"

Even those in the very upper echelons of luxury fashion are taking note, with Hermès entering the lab to explore mushroom-based alternatives to its exotic skins and hides after two centuries of turning out the finest leather money can buy. This is particularly big news given that by 2025, it’s estimated that 430 million cows will need to be slaughtered annually to keep up with consumer demands.  For such a notoriously fast-moving industry, fashion has been slow on the uptake when it comes to sustainability. Finally it’s waking up to the realisation that innovative new fabrics aren’t a novelty, but an urgency – and when it comes to the source, it’s a case of the weirder, the better. 

Even those in the very upper echelons of luxury fashion are taking note, with Hermès entering the lab to explore mushroom-based alternatives to its exotic skins and hides after two centuries of turning out the finest leather money can buy. This is particularly big news given that by 2025, it’s estimated that 430 million cows will need to be slaughtered annually to keep up with consumer demands. For such a notoriously fast-moving industry, fashion has been slow on the uptake when it comes to sustainability. Finally it’s waking up to the realisation that innovative new fabrics aren’t a novelty, but an urgency – and when it comes to the source, it’s a case of the weirder, the better.