HERMÈS BAG OF MUSHROOMS

Ever since Grace Kelly appeared on the cover of a magazine in 1956 with a Hermès bag made of crocodile leather for her belly to cover up her pregnancy, the bag brand has been booming. High time to exchange animal-based products for ecological alternatives.Text: Fleur de Jong
Image: MycoWorks

Fabric of mushroom

Hermès believes in a new kind of fabric that is a good substitute for real leather, made from mycelium, part of a mushroom. With the help of startup MycoWorks, Hermes worked on this fabric for three years to ensure that it would meet the luxury brand's high standards. The fabric will serve as the basis for the Victoria bag.

Fireproof bag

Mushrooms appear to be very suitable for the production of fake leather. Mycelium is a network of fungal threads and grows in rotting tree trunks, among other places. The fungal threads grow very tightly around each other. This property ensures that with mycelium it can take on any shape. But the material is also waterproof, fireproof, very strong and CO2 neutral. 

Following tradition,Hermèshasalso given the new leather a name, namely Sylvania. To finish the Victoria bag with Sylvania leather, Hermès will still use a small amount of calfskin. So the bag is not completely vegan.Click here for 3x high end vega(n) hotspots.