leather alternative news and archive

Qorium announces next step towards full-scale commercialization of lab-grown leather

Lab-grown leather innovator Qorium has taken a significant step towards the full-scale commercialization of lab-grown leather with its latest sample. The material measures 35 by 35 cm and was manufactured through the company’s recently scaled-up tissue bioreactor, demonstrating the viability of the company’s production process for large-scale...

Fashion |In Pictures Featured

Been London unveils handbag made of brewery waste

British accessories brand Been London has collaborated with London-based materials start-up Arda Biomaterials to develop a snakeskin-style handbag crafted from spent grain sourced locally from London’s ‘Beer Mile’ in Bermondsey. The new version of Been’s bestselling ‘Millais’ shoulder bag marks the first to debut Arda’s pioneering leather-like...

Business

Uncaged Innovations raises $5.6 Million to advance grain-free leather alternative

Uncaged Innovations, a biomaterials start-up based in New York, announced that it has successfully raised 5.6 million USD in a seed investment round. The proceeds will be used to fund the commercial launch of the company's grain-based leather as well as the expansion of its team, including its manufacturing team. An emerging next-gen leather...

Fashion

UK biotech start-up unveils lab-grown leather

UK-based biotech start-up 3D Bio-Tissues (3DBT), powered by BSF Enterprise, has unveiled a lab-grown leather sample at the Future Fabrics Expo in London designed to meet the increasing demand for environmentally and animal-conscious alternative leather products. The bio-engineered samples are structurally and genetically identical to traditional...

Fashion Featured

Alternative Innovation wins 2024 Andam Innovation Prize

Materials company Alternative Innovation, which is developing a sustainable and recyclable alternative to leather and coated textiles, has been awarded the ANDAM 2024 Innovative Prize. Introduced in 2017, the Innovative Prize is now in its seventh edition and aims to support technological innovations that contribute to transforming and...

Business

MycoWorks announces first harvest of leather alternative following new plant opening

Biotechnology company MycoWorks has confirmed that its commercial-scale fine mycelium plant in South Carolina, US, has successfully harvested the first 1,000 sheets of its luxury leather-alternative biomaterial. The sheets have left the plant to be delivered to MycoWorks’ partner tanneries across Europe to transform the fine mycelium innovation...

Business

Biomaterials start-up Gozen secures 3.3 million US dollars in funding

Gozen, the biomaterials start-up looking to disrupt the fashion, automotive and home furnishings industries with its lab-grown leather alternative that is plastic and animal-free, has raised 3.3 million US dollars in seed funding. The funding was secured from lead investor Happiness Capital, with participation from Accelr8, Astor Management, and...

Business

MycoWorks to open commercial-scale Fine Mycelium plant

Biomaterials technology company MycoWorks is opening the world’s-first commercial-scale Fine Mycelium production plant on September 20. The 136,000-square-foot facility located in Union, South Carolina in America will employ more than 350 people and enable MycoWorks to supply its luxury partners with millions of square feet of its premium and...

Fashion Featured

Allbirds launches first plant-based leather sneaker

Sustainable footwear brand Allbirds has unveiled its latest innovation, the ‘Plant Pacer’ sneaker featuring 100 percent plastic-free plant leather made from all-natural materials such as rubber and plant oils. The ‘Plant Pacer’ marks a further step into the lifestyle footwear category for Allbirds, while also championing what it calls a “truly...

Fashion |INTERVIEW Featured

Is fish skin the new frontier for eco-friendly fashion?

After 25 years working with luxury names like Moschino, Christian Dior, and Diane von Furstenberg, Elisa Palomino believes that a vital step in sustainability involves targeting seafood waste for the development of fashionable leather articles. She has just completed a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship in the US, is currently a senior lecturer...