Material World is a weekly roundup of innovations and ideas within the materials sector, covering news from emerging biomaterials and alternative leathers to sustainable substitutes and future-proof fibers.
MycoWorks x Ligne Roset
French furniture company Ligne Roset is set to snag high volumes of MycoWorks’ Reishi, with plans to integrate the alternative leather into its products after months of testing.
The news comes as MycoWorks announced that it has successfully harvested over 1,000 sheets of its luxury leather alternative material following the opening of its full-scale production plant in South Carolina.
“Taking care to work with top-grade materials that are as good for people and for our environment as possible has been part of the company and family’s ethos for generations,” Antoine Roset, CEO of Ligne Roset, said. “Our partnership with MycoWorks furthers our commitment to ethical and sustainable development with the high-end quality we’re known for, leaning into innovation and the opportunity to redefine the legacy of ‘made in France’ design.”
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The partnership has enabled the biotechnology company to refine its proprietary technology, Fine Mycelium, into further applications, as furniture design and interiors make up roughly 10 percent of the global leather and synthetic leather market, MycoWorks said, and fine-tuning Reishi to meet the performance standards required by the industry has meant keeping the hand feel constant while adjusting for flexibility, strength and durability.
“MycoWorks is ecstatic to join Ligne Roset on its journey to bring innovations to the furniture industry, and to deliver Reishi according to Ligne Roset’s commitments to excellence and durability,” Fred Martel, MycoWorks’ SVP of sales, said. “The opening of our full-scale production facility in Union, South Carolina this past fall will enable us to bring this to fruition and soon allow many the chance to own an incredible feat of innovation: Ligne Roset products made with Reishi.”
Melina Bucher x Mirum
Only 2 percent of venture capital funding goes to female-founded startups, according to Boston Consulting Group. In response to this—and aligning with its ethos of breaking barriers—German luxury startup Melina Bucher released the “Money Moves” collection, a line dedicated to money accessories like wallets and laptop bags, all made from NFW’s biobased, plastic-free Mirum alternative leather and organic cotton.
“Female leaders are at the forefront of integrating environmentally friendly policies and practices in their businesses,” Melina Bucher, founder of the eponymous brand, said. “Our collection and campaign reflect this commitment to not only excel in business but to do so with sustainability and ethical responsibility at the core.”
Founded on sustainability and ethical responsibility principles, Melina Bucher is known for combining next-generation materials with traditional craftsmanship. As such, the collection is handcrafted at the brand’s own factory in Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, led by an all-women team of experienced designers and craftsmen.
The collection features bifold cardholders, laptop sleeves and key chains, all designed to complement the brand’s best-selling Bailey bag. Each piece is made to order and ranges between $90-$268.
Desserto x Otterbox
Smartphone case brand Otterbox partnered with Adriano di Marti’s Desserto to release a collection of accessories that feel like leather but are made from nopal cactus. The brand dropped phone cases, watch bands and MagSafe wallets.
“We’ve teamed up with Adriano di Marti to source this innovative cactus-based biomaterial that is durable, beautiful and sustainable to create a product unlike any other for both brands,” Otterbox CEO JC Richardson said. “These cases look good, feel good and you can feel good about using it, too.”
Nopal cacti can thrive in harsh conditions and don’t need irrigation or warm weather to grow. They support a biodiverse ecosystem and the Desserto farm sequesters “substantially” more CO2 than the farming process produces, as the farm absorbs 8,100 tons of CO2 while only generating 15.3 tons annually.
“Following an exhaustive development and engineering process, the organic content and performance stabilization of the material has been intelligently optimized to deliver the next generation in both biomaterials and sustainable efficiency,” Adrian Lopez Velarde, co-founder of Adriano di Marti, said.