For billions of years, mycelium has grown beneath our feet and served as ecological connective tissue to all life on earth. A sprawling, infinitely renewable, interlaced web, it threads through soil, breaks down organic matter, and provides nutrients to plants and trees.
To make Mylo, we have engineered a process to grow mycelium in a vertical farming facility powered by 100% renewable energy and transformed it into a material that looks and feels like animal leather. Soft, supple, and less harmful to the environment – Mylo is everything you love about leather, without everything you don’t.
For billions of years, mycelium has grown beneath our feet and served as ecological connective tissue to all life on earth. A sprawling, infinitely renewable, interlaced web, it threads through soil, breaks down organic matter, and provides nutrients to plants and trees.
To make Mylo, we have engineered a process to grow mycelium in a vertical farming facility powered by 100% renewable energy and transformed it into a material that looks and feels like animal leather. Soft, supple, and less harmful to the environment – Mylo is everything you love about leather, without everything you don’t.
Consortium (n.) – An association of two or more entities coming together to join forces and work together in achieving a common goal.
We never planned to change the world alone. In a resource-constrained world, the time has come to develop smarter solutions through advanced science and a shared commitment to a better future. Enter the consortium – adidas, Kering, lululemon, and Stella McCartney. Selected based on mission alignment, high standards of quality, and the ability to scale worldwide, these partners banded together to invest in meaningful material innovation with Mylo.
Consortium (n.) – An association of two or more entities coming together to join forces and work together in achieving a common goal.
We never planned to change the world alone. In a resource-constrained world, the time has come to develop smarter solutions through advanced science and a shared commitment to a better future. Enter the consortium – adidas, Kering, lululemon, and Stella McCartney. Selected based on mission alignment, high standards of quality, and the ability to scale worldwide, these partners banded together to invest in meaningful material innovation with Mylo.
To deliver millions of square feet of Mylo, we have built a world-class supply chain that maintains Mylo’s high quality while continuously minimizing its environmental impact. Our European tanning partner has five generations of experience working with leather and meets top certifications in sustainability, including a gold rating from the Leather Working Group. Our mycelium partner is the world’s expert in growing mushrooms; they operate a state-of-the-art facility in the Netherlands that utilizes vertical farming to minimize their ecological footprint.
To deliver millions of square feet of Mylo, we have built a world-class supply chain that maintains Mylo’s high quality while continuously minimizing its environmental impact. Our European tanning partner has five generations of experience working with leather and meets top certifications in sustainability, including a gold rating from the Leather Working Group. Our mycelium partner is the world’s expert in growing mushrooms; they operate a state-of-the-art facility in the Netherlands that utilizes vertical farming to minimize their ecological footprint.
Debuted by consortium partner adidas in April 2021, the Stan Smith Mylo™ is the first-ever shoe made with Mylo. By reimagining the brand’s iconic shoe silhouette with Mylo, adidas pays homage to a classic with a new pledge of responsibility to find material solutions inspired by nature. Visit mylo-unleather.com to be the first to know when the adidas Stan Smith Mylo shoe becomes available for purchase.
Debuted by consortium partner adidas in April 2021, the Stan Smith Mylo™ is the first-ever shoe made with Mylo. By reimagining the brand’s iconic shoe silhouette with Mylo, adidas pays homage to a classic with a new pledge of responsibility to find material solutions inspired by nature. Visit mylo-unleather.com to be the first to know when the adidas Stan Smith Mylo shoe becomes available for purchase.
Founding Mylo consortium member Stella McCartney made history at Paris Fashion Week with Frayme Mylo, the first handbag made from infinitely renewable mycelium to walk the runway. Offering a fresh perspective on the future of fashion, Frayme Mylo sets a new standard in material innovation and is available for purchase as part of Stella’s Summer 2022 collection. Shop the Frayme Mylo bag.
Founding Mylo consortium member Stella McCartney made history at Paris Fashion Week with Frayme Mylo, the first handbag made from infinitely renewable mycelium to walk the runway. Offering a fresh perspective on the future of fashion, Frayme Mylo sets a new standard in material innovation and is available for purchase as part of Stella’s Summer 2022 collection. Shop the Frayme Mylo bag.
In July 2021, lululemon revealed the first yoga accessory collection made with Mylo. The capsule collection includes a concept yoga mat made from 100% undyed Mylo, woven to create varying patterns that guide the placement of hands and feet during a yoga practice. The Meditation and Yoga Mat Bag and Barrel Duffel Bag feature Mylo in intricately braided handles, zipper pulls, and premium embellishments throughout.
In July 2021, lululemon revealed the first yoga accessory collection made with Mylo. The capsule collection includes a concept yoga mat made from 100% undyed Mylo, woven to create varying patterns that guide the placement of hands and feet during a yoga practice. The Meditation and Yoga Mat Bag and Barrel Duffel Bag feature Mylo in intricately braided handles, zipper pulls, and premium embellishments throughout.
In March 2021, Stella McCartney was the first to debut Mylo items from the consortium with a bustier top and trousers. The items are a peek into Stella’s design process with Mylo and an exploration of what the future will look like with sustainable materials at the forefront.
In March 2021, Stella McCartney was the first to debut Mylo items from the consortium with a bustier top and trousers. The items are a peek into Stella’s design process with Mylo and an exploration of what the future will look like with sustainable materials at the forefront.
Mushrooms are the fruit of mycelium, which is a sprawling, infinitely renewable, interlaced web that threads through soil, plants, and other trees. Fungi, which include mushrooms, play a critical role in breaking down organic matter to provide nutrients to nearby plants. Imagine the branches and vines that grow apples or grapes – mycelium functions like those twisting, branching supports just under the surface. It brings sustenance to all living species and is the literal world wide web.
No. The term “leather” is reserved for animal hides, and animal hides are made of collagen. Mylo™ material is made from mycelium and does not contain any collagen. Learn more here.
We start by reproducing what happens under the forest floor in a controlled indoor environment. We take mycelial cells and feed them sawdust and organic material while controlling the humidity and temperature among other variables. The mycelium grows into a foamy layer — imagine a big bag of smashed marshmallows. Once the mycelium is harvested, the remaining material is composted. We then process and dye that sheet of mycelium and it becomes the Mylo material that gets used to make footwear, handbags, wallets, phone cases, and other gorgeous products.
Mylo material is created by Bolt Threads, a U.S. material innovations company based in California. It is grown by expert mushroom farmers in indoor vertical farming facilities and processed by scientists.
No, our Microsilk technology involves engineering yeast to produce silk proteins. With Mylo™, we grow mycelium, which we process into the final Mylo material.
No. There are no genetically engineered microbes required in manufacturing it.
Given that leather has been at commercial scale for decades and Mylo material is still in small scale production, it’s too early to have an independent study on Mylo material’s environmental footprint, but creating a sustainable upgrade to leather that checks the boxes for people who love leather is the entire reason we’re doing this.
Unlike leather production, making Mylo material doesn’t involve raising livestock. As disposable incomes rise around the globe, so will the demand for meat and leather goods. This demand can’t be met using the land and water it takes to raise cattle. We need smarter, more sustainable solutions.
The mycelium we grow for Mylo material is produced in days, unlike the resource-intense process of raising livestock, which can take years.
Our preliminary impact assessment indicates the incredible environmental benefits of mycelium-based leather. In 2022, we’ll share the results of an independent life cycle assessment.
Unlike synthetic leather, which is usually made from a synthetic fabric and a polyurethane or PVC coating, Mylo material is made from mycelium and is not petroleum-derived. Additionally, Mylo material’s processing and finishing chemistries are intentionally evaluated and selected using Green Chemistry principles. We will undertake a full impact assessment of Mylo material in 2022 and we look forward to sharing those findings with the world.
Our goal with Mylo material is to consider every aspect of the lifecycle and reduce its environmental impact throughout the whole process. The mycelium used to make Mylo material is infinitely renewable and grown by expert mushroom farmers and scientists in indoor vertical farming facilities in Europe and the United States.
Mylo material is not currently biodegradable, which is the case for pretty much all leather and alternative leathers that we are aware of. Sustainability is a measure of inputs and processing steps as well as end of life. In the future, we hope to create versions of Mylo material that can be repurposed and reused as long as possible, and then be returned to natural and industrial systems in a cycle that is truly sustainable.
While Mylo is not currently plastic-free, it is not petroleum-based, unlike synthetic leather, which is made from a synthetic fabric and a polyurethane or PVC coating (meaning it’s 100% plastic). Most animal hides are finished with added chemistry (up to 40% of the weight of leather is fat liquors, plasticizers, and coatings), whereas all Mylo inputs are based on rigorously applied principles of Green Chemistry and minimal environmental impact.
Mylo is also certified bio-based, meaning it’s made predominantly from inputs that are derived from renewable ingredients found in nature. This certification is received through bio-based testing by DIN CERTCO.
We believe that eventually eliminating plastics is the right goal for Mylo and we are always striving to increase the bio-based content as well. But we also know that a material’s potential for impact depends on brand and consumer adoption, and a majority of consumers will not accept big sacrifices in quality compared to leather. We have not yet seen a completely plastic-free product that meets brand and consumer requirements for softness, strength, and suppleness, but we will keep working toward that goal with Mylo.
Thank you for your interest! These are exciting times for us and we are overwhelmed by the demand for Mylo material. While Mylo material is not currently available for sale beyond our exclusive consortium partners, we are working to increase supply to work with additional brands and designers in the future. Please continue to check back for more updates.
As a part of GANNI’s initiative to remove virgin animal leather from their footwear and accessories by 2023, Mylo™ will play a critical role in supporting the brand reach their goal. Ganni products made with Mylo™ will be available starting in 2022.
Yes. We’re thrilled to announce that the Frayme Mylo is available for purchase at select Stella McCartney boutiques and online. Shop the Frayme Mylo bag.
The adidas Stan Smith Mylo is a concept shoe and isn’t available for purchase yet. The brand plans to announce availability for purchase in the near future.
The lululemon Meditation and Yoga Mat Bag and Barrel Duffel Bag are available to purchase through our partners at lululemon. Please note that availability, shipping, and customer care inquiries related to these products should be directed to our partners at lululemon to ensure a timely response.
The lululemon yoga mat is a concept product, meaning it was designed to explore and showcase exciting potential future uses of Mylo in wellness accessories. It is not currently available for purchase.
As a long term partner of Bolt Threads, Stella revealed a Mylo bustier top and trousers in March 2021 as part of her latest exploration into designing with Mylo. These items are part of her design process to inform future designers featuring the material and, while they are not currently available for sale; the Frayme Mylo™ bag is part of Stella McCartney’s Spring/Summer 2022 collection. We look forward to sharing additional details when we can.
The first Mylo material products will be available starting in 2022. Product availability and timing will vary by designer, and we look forward to sharing exact dates as they are available.
Our Mylo Driver Bag Kickstarter project had closed. All backers received a unique Mylo product and a full refund in gratitude for their early support of the material.
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