Materialities of ‘Mushroom-Leather’

A Critical Appraisal of the Material Dimensions and Sustainability of Fungus-Based Alternatives to Leather for use in Fashion and Textiles

Authors

• Stefanie Mallon University of Göttingen https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5040-5765

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23991/ef.v51i1.141682

Keywords:

bio-economy, mushroom-leather, mycelium, fungi, fashion, textiles, materiality, knowledge

Abstract

The ever more apparent unsustainable and unethical effects of the garment industry have caused consumers to face the dilemma of reconciling their interest in consumption with acting responsibly. The use of new materials in production, for example garments made from fungi, offers one way for consumers to resolve this. Fungi are being imbued with almost mythical attributes as a beneficial organism with transformative powers in many narratives – including ones from the fashion industry. Products are being promoted as if they were already widely available. However, the available information is ambivalent and might raise some doubt as to the material’s market readiness and/or its overall sustainable effect. For this paper, I will analyse the information economy, celebratory narratives and mushroom materials from experimental fungus-growing experiments. I will examine closely the range of materialities around the phenomenon of fungus ‘leather’.