There is nothing like the smell of a brand new leather bag, especially from a brand like Hermès. From the deeply rich scent of the leather to the buttery feel of the material (ranging anywhere from ostrich to alligator), holding a leather bag is a sensory experience like no other. Question is, would we still be able to get the same experience and satisfaction from an alternative leather material?
For their Fall/Winter 2021 collection, Hermès will be releasing Hermès Victoria, one of high-luxury’s most distinct forays into the world of sustainable fashion. The handbag will be made from Sylvania, a leather-like material crafted from fungus. To attain this sustainable leather doppelgänger, Hermès worked with the California-based MycoWorks, which used a technology called Fine Mycelium, to create the material before being sent off to France for fine crafting.
On the technological process of creating this material MycoWorks co-founder Sophia Wang stated, “It’s more than a new material – it’s a manufacturing breakthrough that gives designers new levels of customization and creative control. Our materials are essentially made to order and there’s complete transparency into what is being made and how. We control each sheet’s size, strength, flexibility, thickness. This customization creates a range of design possibilities, minimizes waste and ensures consistent quality.”
Mushroom is not the first, or certainly the last, alternative the fashion industry has turned to in a search to accommodate the growing interest in sustainable attire and accessories. Materials like pineapples, cacti, apples and more have been crafted into lux leather-surrogates for brands like Stella McCartney, Gucci and; of course, Hermès.
Whether or not leather will be entirely tuned out by the fashion industry remains to be seen, but there’s no denying that it will be fascinating to see what will come next for the world of luxury handbags.
