BioFluff

BioFluff's first fur samples / Source: Tetera Taronja Design for BioFluff

BioFluffCompostableEuropeFlexibleNorth AmericaRegenerativeTextiles

WHAT WE SAY:

Animal fur or faux fur? It's a hotly contested debate: an ethical minefield on one side and polluting plastic on the other. The choice isn't easy, so BioFluff set out to combine the best of both worlds with its guilt-free, plant-based fur.

Made from organic plants and completely home compostable, BioFluff – the company and material share the name – is a next-gen material consumers have been waiting for. No molecular manipulation, no toxic coatings, just natural fibres. The company is scaling slowly, but it could be worth the wait.

BioFluff

WHAT IS BIOFLUFF?

BioFluff is a 100% plant-based fur alternative for the luxury fashion and footwear industries.
The company claims the plant fibres it uses to manufacture BioFluff have similarities in "shape, dimension, and length" to animal fur.
The fibres are customisable in terms of length, colour, density, insulation, shine, and softness, allowing clients to replicate the look and feel of popular, traditional pelts such as beaver, mink, and arctic fox.
Brands who use BioFluff can expect it to perform in a similar manner to faux fur, both as a garment and during manufacture — it can be produced on retrofitted faux fur machinery rather than requiring a new system entirely.
Due to pending patents in the EU and US, BioFluff has not yet disclosed which plant fibres it is working with, although according to CEO Martin Stübler the company is currently working with one plant on an industrial level and a further four on a laboratory level.
BioFluff sources its plants directly from farmers. Due to their dense root biomass they are used for soil rejuvenation during cash crop cycles of between three and five years, and have no other use at end-of-life, effectively making them an agricultural waste product.
The brand claims all plants are organic and GMO free, and they do not compete with food crops.
BioFluff is manufactured using a process based on whole-augmented staple fibres. Rather than using plastics or synthetic additives, the company applies secondary plant metabolites — substances plants make to be competitive within their environment. BioFluff says the natural plant ingredients used include fibres, oils, and rubbers.
As BioFluff is made and processed using only natural materials, it should compost fully at end-of-life. Stübler compares it to an organic, undyed, unbleached Cotton t-shirt.
An LCA of BioFluff will be published in summer 2023.
The brand expects to produce a "few thousand square metres" of BioFluff by the end of 2023. It is currently targeting trials with fashion designers who "don't need 200,000 square metres to start a collection".

KEY PROPERTIES:

Compostable
Flexible
Regenerative

INDUSTRY:

Textiles

AVAILABILITY:

Limited Orders

DIVE DEEPER:

Animal and synthetic furs each have their own environmental impacts. Chemicals used during processing of real fur include hydrochloric, formic, and sulphuric acid; formaldehyde; and ammonia. Each of them is, or can be, toxic. Evidence has also been found that mink farms likely pollute lakes with phosphorus, and of course, there is the ethical question. Faux fur, meanwhile, is primarily made from a blend of polyester and acrylic, derived from fossil fuels and contributing to microplastic pollution.
Despite the known environmental impacts of synthetic fibres, fashion brands are increasingly reaching for faux fur. It's estimated that USD 24.68 billion was generated from faux fur worldwide in 2022, expected to grow to USD 28.43 billion by 2025.
The flock to synthetics is a result of widespread bans on the real thing. O ver 1,500 fashion brands, including Gucci, Chanel, and Armani, have banned animal fur, while the state of California banned the manufacture and sale of animal fur used in clothing, footwear, and handbags. The Dutch government moved forward a 2024 ban on mink fur breeding to 2021, and France has declared there will be no more fur production from 2025.
Demand for real fur still remains, however, with the Chinese market serving as the driving force. While consumer preferences on the source material are split, desire for the aesthetic that fur provides clearly persists.
Earlier materials devised as an alternative to both real and plastic fur include House of Fluff's animal-free fur and Ecopel's KOBA, however they were only partially plant based. BioFluff is the first 100% plant-based fur alternative to market.
Stübler had the idea for BioFluff while working at a tannery in Spain during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns. Feeling there was no sustainable alternative to fur on the market, he set out to develop one.
Stübler founded BioFluff with fellow Cornell University alumni Ashwariya Lahariya in 2021.
There are currently 10 people on the BioFluff team and the HQ has moved to San Francisco, the main research site. There are production facilities and offices in New York, Paris, and Milan.
In June 2022 BioFluff closed a USD 500,000 pre-seed funding round. A seed round started in February 2023, and will close before summer.
BioFluff has been accepted into two accelerator programmes: the LVMH startup incubator La Maison des Startups, and IndieBio.

Close-up of BioFluff / Source: BioFluff Instagram Account (@bio_fluff)

Plant-based fur / Source: BioFluff Instagram Account (@bio_fluff)

KEY FACTS:

$24.7bn

was generated from faux fur worldwide in 2022

> 1,500

More than 1,500 fashion brands have banned animal fur

$500k

BioFluff closed a USD 500,000 pre-seed funding round in June 2022

Key Questions to Ask:

How much do you need?

BioFluff is starting small, so this is a material best planned for trial releases rather than full collections.

What are you mixing it with?

BioFluff is a completely compostable material, so it makes sense to pair it with other materials with the same end-of-life qualities. Adding a BioFluff collar to a polyurethane jacket, for instance, would negate the benefits of a nutrient material.

Should you replicate?

The presence of realistic looking animal furs on fashion runways has sparked negative feedback from those who argue it glamourises hunting, especially when endangered species are the inspiration. Consider whether accurately replicating an animal pelt is the right choice for your audience or whether a more abstract approach is a better fit.

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BioFluff

WHAT WE SAY:

Animal fur or faux fur? It's a hotly contested debate: an ethical minefield on one side and polluting plastic on the other. The choice isn't easy, so BioFluff set out to combine the best of both worlds with its guilt-free, plant-based fur.

WHAT IS BIOFLUFF?

KEY PROPERTIES:

INDUSTRY:

AVAILABILITY:

Limited Orders

DIVE DEEPER:

Despite the known environmental impacts of synthetic fibres, fashion brands are increasingly reaching for faux fur. It's estimated that USD 24.68 billion was generated from faux fur worldwide in 2022, expected to grow to USD 28.43 billion by 2025.

Demand for real fur still remains, however, with the Chinese market serving as the driving force. While consumer preferences on the source material are split, desire for the aesthetic that fur provides clearly persists.

Earlier materials devised as an alternative to both real and plastic fur include House of Fluff's animal-free fur and Ecopel's KOBA, however they were only partially plant based. BioFluff is the first 100% plant-based fur alternative to market.

Stübler had the idea for BioFluff while working at a tannery in Spain during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns. Feeling there was no sustainable alternative to fur on the market, he set out to develop one.

Stübler founded BioFluff with fellow Cornell University alumni Ashwariya Lahariya in 2021.

There are currently 10 people on the BioFluff team and the HQ has moved to San Francisco, the main research site. There are production facilities and offices in New York, Paris, and Milan.

In June 2022 BioFluff closed a USD 500,000 pre-seed funding round. A seed round started in February 2023, and will close before summer.

BioFluff has been accepted into two accelerator programmes: the LVMH startup incubator La Maison des Startups, and IndieBio.

KEY FACTS:

$24.7bn

> 1,500

$500k

Key Questions to Ask:

How much do you need?

What are you mixing it with?

Should you replicate?

MEET THE MAKERS:

BioFluff

KEY PRODUCTS

LOCATION
Europe, North America

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

BioFluff

WHAT WE SAY:

Animal fur or faux fur? It's a hotly contested debate: an ethical minefield on one side and polluting plastic on the other. The choice isn't easy, so BioFluff set out to combine the best of both worlds with its guilt-free, plant-based fur.

WHAT IS BIOFLUFF?

KEY PROPERTIES:

INDUSTRY:

AVAILABILITY:

Limited Orders

DIVE DEEPER:

Despite the known environmental impacts of synthetic fibres, fashion brands are increasingly reaching for faux fur. It's estimated that USD 24.68 billion was generated from faux fur worldwide in 2022, expected to grow to USD 28.43 billion by 2025.

Demand for real fur still remains, however, with the Chinese market serving as the driving force. While consumer preferences on the source material are split, desire for the aesthetic that fur provides clearly persists.

Earlier materials devised as an alternative to both real and plastic fur include House of Fluff's animal-free fur and Ecopel's KOBA, however they were only partially plant based. BioFluff is the first 100% plant-based fur alternative to market.

Stübler had the idea for BioFluff while working at a tannery in Spain during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns. Feeling there was no sustainable alternative to fur on the market, he set out to develop one.

Stübler founded BioFluff with fellow Cornell University alumni Ashwariya Lahariya in 2021.

There are currently 10 people on the BioFluff team and the HQ has moved to San Francisco, the main research site. There are production facilities and offices in New York, Paris, and Milan.

In June 2022 BioFluff closed a USD 500,000 pre-seed funding round. A seed round started in February 2023, and will close before summer.

BioFluff has been accepted into two accelerator programmes: the LVMH startup incubator La Maison des Startups, and IndieBio.

KEY FACTS:

$24.7bn

> 1,500

$500k

Key Questions to Ask:

How much do you need?

What are you mixing it with?

Should you replicate?

MEET THE MAKERS:

BioFluff

KEY PRODUCTS

LOCATION Europe, North America

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

LOCATION
Europe, North America