GREEN ISLAND, N.Y., Dec. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Ecovative, the mycelium technology company, today announced the launch of an international sustainable fashion cooperative, with global brands BESTSELLER and PVH Corp. [NYSE: PVH] as founding members. Through the cooperative, these brands will have priority access to Ecovative’s mycelium innovations through its Forager™ Hides platform and will work directly with the Ecovative team to co-develop custom mycelium materials for a range of end products and consumer applications. The global innovation platform Fashion for Good was integral in bringing these parties together to advance a petroleum-free vegan leather.
BESTSELLER and PVH Corp. share Ecovative’s commitment to sustainable fashion. Their designers will work in tandem with Ecovative’s team of engineers and mycologists to create mycelium solutions for their products. Members in the Fashion for Good Cooperative will bring their fashion industry expertise to work with Ecovative in a design, build and test research and development strategy. Together, the cooperative will develop mycelium materials for the consumer market.
“At PVH we are excited to explore innovations that reduce the environmental impact of our products,” said Rebecca England, VP Innovation, PVH Europe. “Mycelium provides us with an opportunity to respond to growing consumer interest in lower impact products while supporting quality and design that meet the needs and expectations of our consumers – in this case, made with 100% bio-based resources. We look forward to testing and learning alongside our partners to create scalable, sustainable solutions.”
“Mycelium shows great potential in the fashion innovation sphere – it even extends far beyond our own industry. We are keen on diving into the product development phase and really understanding the aesthetics and actual performance of Ecovative’s innovative materials in the lab,” said Anders Schorling Overgård, BESTSELLER’s Sustainable Materials Engineer. “This pilot enables us to gain more insight into mycelium as a leather alternative, which ultimately is both biodegradable and fully bio-based.”
Ecovative has more than a decade of experience producing mycelium materials for partners throughout North America, Europe and Asia. The company launched Forager™ Hides, its alternative leather material, in March 2021. Forager™ Hides are based on Ecovative’s second-generation mycelium material, building on more than five years of research and development in Ecovative’s Mycelium Foundry. The 100 percent bio-based mycelium material is grown in sheets up to 24 meters in length and 1.8 meters wide, and can be grown to partners’ specific needs in terms of tensile strength, density and fiber orientation. The entire growth process takes only 9 days and yields a ready-to-finish material free of plastic scrims and petroleum based coatings.
“By marrying innovation with legacy, we can focus on what we do better than anyone else in the world — growing the best mycelium at commercial scale,” said Gavin McIntyre, Ecovative Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer. “Working directly with fashion brands and tanneries, we make beautiful, high-performing and sustainable materials without harming animals or the planet.”
From soft and supple leather accessories and garments to durable and thick belts and shoes, Ecovative scientists are able to fine-tune their product to meet a wide array of end product needs.
“Biomaterials have been in development for years, but they have yet to reach even a small portion of customers,” said Katrin Ley, Managing Director of Fashion for Good. “Ecovative has been focused on scaling its technologies to deliver mycelium at the scale necessary for industry leaders like BESTSELLER and PVH Corp.. This is an exciting development in the drive to scale up these solutions and increase accessibility.”
About Ecovative:
Ecovative is a materials science company unlocking the natural potential of mycelium with modern technology. Founded in 2007, Ecovative’s mission is to create next generation materials through mycelium biofabrication and to make mycelium materials accessible to everyone. Leveraging its Mycelium Foundry, Ecovative works with partners throughout the textiles, food and packaging industries to grow better materials for everyday needs. To learn more, visit http://www.ecovative.com/.
About Forager Hides:
Forager Hides, launched in March 2021, are Ecovative’s second-generation mycelium material designed to solve the sustainability challenges in the fashion industry. The latest innovation from Ecovative’s is its high-throughput Mycelium Foundry that allows the modulation of tensile strength, density, and fiber orientation of the mycelium that comprise Forager Hides. Due to the compact and vertical design, the first farm is designed to produce 3 million square feet of leather-like material annually on only one acre of land.
About PVH Corp.:
PVH Corp. is one of the world’s largest and most admired fashion companies, connecting with consumers in over 40 countries. Our global iconic brands include Calvin Klein and TOMMY HILFIGER. Our 140-year history is built on the strength of our brands, our team and our commitment to drive fashion forward for good. That’s the Power of Us. That’s the Power of PVH Corp..
About BESTSELLER:
BESTSELLER is an international, family-owned fashion company with a range of more than 20 individual fashion brands such as ONLY, JACK & JONES and VERO MODA, available across most of the world. BESTSELLER aims to accelerate fashion’s journey towards a sustainable reality with the ultimate ambition of bringing Fashion FWD until the company is climate positive, fair for all and circular by design. For more information, visit www.bestseller.com
About Fashion for Good:
Fashion for Good is a global platform for innovation, made possible through collaboration and community.
At the core of Fashion for Good is their innovation platform. Based in Amsterdam with a satellite programme in Asia, the global accelerator programmes gives promising start-up innovators the expertise and access to funding they need to grow. The platform also supports innovators through its scaling programme and foundational projects, driving pilots and supply chain implementation with partner organisations. The Good Fashion Fund catalyses access to finance to shift at scale to more sustainable production processes.
Fashion for Good’s programmes are supported by founding partner Laudes Foundation, co-founder William McDonough and corporate partners adidas, C&A, CHANEL, BESTSELLER, Galeries Lafayette Group, Kering, Levi Strauss & Co., Otto Group, PVH Corp., Stella McCartney, Target, and Zalando, and regional and affiliate partners Arvind Limited, Birla Cellulose, HSBC, Norrøna, vivobarefoot, Welspun and W. L. Gore & Associates.
Contact: Ecovative@missionnorth.com
SOURCE Ecovative