From the Lab: Really Clever Not Leather

Customisable mushroom leather / Source: Really Clever

AlgaeEuropeLeatherMyceliumTextiles

3 MINUTE READ

18 Sep 2023
Mayer Nissim

Leather has fallen out of favour for ethical and environmental reasons, but plastic alternatives are often worse on both counts. Really Clever is one of a number of biotech companies looking towards fungi to propel us to a leather-free and plastic-free future, without compromising on quality or affordability.

The company is all about pinpointing the right source of mushrooms for each client’s needs, before refining and improving, streamlining, then refining once more.

Mushrooms / Source: Really Clever

Mushroom leather / Source: Really Clever Instagram Account (@reallyclever.co)

WHAT IS REALLY CLEVER NOT LEATHER?

Founded in 2021 and already backed by almost USD 1 million in pre-seed investment, Really Clever is looking to "smash expectations" with Not Leather, its animal-free, plastic-free leather alternative. Just two years after launch, the company has partnerships lined up with major players in the fashion and automotive sectors, including shoe giant Russell & Bromley.

It’s far from the only company looking at funga to replace Leather, but its USP is how it sources its mushrooms and what it does once it gets them – as well as making affordability and accessibility the centrepiece of its plans. To produce Not Leather, Really Clever sources stipes (the 'stem' of a mushroom) as waste from the mushroom industry in Cambridge before using proprietary methods to make sure they’re robust and contaminant free. The fungi's characteristics are matched with potential commercial applications, then it’s all about iteration to get the product just right. Streamlining ensures everything is cost-effective, followed by a final round of refinement.

What comes out of that process is a smooth, lightweight, strong, and customisable fabric made exclusively from mushrooms, Algae derivatives, minerals, and plant-based materials. All in less than 72 hours. Not Leather needs minimal finishing, and while its partner tanneries currently use a thin PU coating, that layer doesn’t prevent visible composting within six weeks. Plus, there’s nothing inherent in the material that precludes the use of a non-plastic coating in future.

Not Leather is just the start of Really Clever’s ambitions. It describes itself as a "fungal discovery platform" and sees the humble mushroom as the key to an entire portfolio — including clean fuel — based around fungi.

Mushroom / Source: Really Clever

WHAT PROBLEM IS REALLY CLEVER SOLVING?

On the face of it, leather should be a solution to the plastic crisis. It’s the fake stuff that appears to be the major blight on the environment. Polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride, often referred to as 'vegan leather', shed microplastics when you wash and wear them, and end up in landfill when they're discarded.

But despite all its benefits – its strength, comfort, and durability – there are plenty of good reasons to seek alternatives to leather, too. The industry is responsible for a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions, and not just carbon dioxide: each year a single cow will emit 220 pounds of methane, which has 28 times more global warming potential than CO2. Conventional tanning is also catastrophic for the natural world, with chrome and other hazardous heavy metals and materials liable to leach into the environment.

For its part, Really Clever claims that by starting with carefully-chosen mushroom species and making smart use of iteration and circular production, it creates a truly sustainable product that can match the sensory characteristics and performance of "real" leather. It’s also aggressively targeting affordability and scalability, with the co-founders aware that while consumer will is there, the wallet often isn’t.