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Mayer Nissim
Omose Studio is one of a number of innovators experimenting with mycelium leather as an alternative to animal skin and synthetics, but with a focus on sourcing its fungi locally rather than engineering them in a lab.
Mykko is a research and development project from Omose Studio with a focus on animal-free, organic, and bio-fabricated textiles, specifically Mycelium leather. Founded in 2019 by biodesigners Aurélie Fontan and Ashley Granter, the goal is to generate a sustainable alternative to cow leather.
Unlike many other players in the mycelium leather space, Mykko sources its fungi from wild mushroom samples sourced within a 10 kilometre radius of its South Yorkshire labs – a 30 minute drive – using foraging methods that protect the ecosystem. As well as the environmental benefits, Mykko claims this gives its leather a unique character, similar to wine’s terroir.
What’s more, all its resources are sourced from within just 60 kilometres. The leather is made exclusively from renewable natural materials, and the mycelium is grown onto green waste from regenerative agriculture. Omose’s goal is to avoid synthetic polymers of any kind, so its finished product will break down harmlessly in the environment at end-of-life.
Proof of concept has been seen at The Ledbury pub in London’s Notting Hill, which has been decked out with Mykko decorative panels, lampshades, and presentation bowls as an exploration of sustainability. Omose provides grown-to-order material for any sized project, and if you’re looking to grow your own fabric, it also offers substrate kits to allow you to skip the cost, trial, and error of growing from scratch.
The potential of Mykko has been recognised by the London Mayor's Entrepreneur Award, Future Fashion Factory, and UKRI’s UK Innovate Sustainable Funding Round.
Leather is one of the oldest materials known to man. It’s strong, comfortable, and durable, but concerns about animal welfare and the significant amount of greenhouse gases emitted during its manufacturing has designers looking for alternatives, and that’s before we consider the intensive water use and environmental damage of the tanning process.
Synthetic leathers are a non-starter. While no animals are directly harmed when making polyurethane (PU leather) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC leather), they’re derived from petrochemicals and destined to end up in landfill, while they also shed microplastics during their lifetime. What’s more, plastic leathers age terribly, which means they’re likely to end up in the bin much faster than the real thing.
Mycelium leather is one of many alt-leather materials being explored, and one that is being heavily funded by investors – check out Reishi from MycoWorks. While there are valid concerns about both the scalability and performance of mycelium leathers, the appetite for fungi-based alternatives is rife, and brands looking for artisanal, local stories – without a plastic coating – will benefit from emerging materials such as Mykko. Not least because the company claims its use of wild strains offers benefits over the genetically modified fungi favoured by other companies, including increased strength, a potentially more robust gene pool, and the ability to degrade more problematic substrates.
Mycelium, organic matter
Concept Stage
info@osmosestudio.com
