The Future of Fashion – Made from Mushrooms | Dan Widmaier | TED

TL;DR

This content explores the speaker's journey as a scientist, using science to create sustainable materials in the fashion industry.

Transcript

I'm a proud lifelong nerd, and I have a PhD in chemistry and chemical biology to prove it, which is why I never thought I'd be that guy standing up here, talking about my love affair with fashion. (Laughter) And there's someone else in my life who's equally shocked by this turn of events, and that's my wonderful wife, who literally has a degree in ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🌍 Fashion is in the midst of a sustainability crisis due to the materials it uses and the volume of items produced each year.
• 💡 The answers to fashion's sustainability problems lie in nature, and it's the job of scientists to find and utilize these natural materials.
• 🤔 Leather is one of the most pivotal materials in fashion, but the link between leather and cows is detrimental to the environment.
• 🍄 Mycelium, found in mushrooms, has a similar microstructure to collagen in cowhide, making it a potential alternative material for leather.
• 🔬 A company successfully grew mycelium at a large scale, transforming it into a leather-like material called Mylo.
• 🌿 Growing mushrooms requires significantly less land and energy compared to raising cows for leather production, making Mylo a sustainable option.
• 🌎 Collaboration between fashion brands and scientists is crucial to solving the sustainability problem in fashion.
• 💼 Mylo has been incorporated into various fashion products and is commercially viable, showing that sustainable fashion is not just a dream but a reality.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the speaker's background in relation to fashion and science?

The speaker has a PhD in chemistry and chemical biology and describes himself as a lifelong nerd. He never expected to be talking about his love for fashion, especially since his wife has a degree in fashion.

Q: What materials are commonly used in fashion?

Fashion utilizes various materials such as cotton, leather, nylon, and polyester, among others. These materials are found in clothing items that people have in their closets.

Q: Why is fashion facing a sustainability crisis?

The fashion industry produces over 100 billion items per year, resulting in a significant environmental impact. The materials used in fashion, such as leather and cotton, contribute to this crisis due to their resource-intensive production processes.

Q: How does the speaker suggest making fashion more sustainable?

The speaker believes that sustainability in fashion can be achieved through scientific advancements in materials. By harnessing the inventions found in nature and bringing them into the world of design, fashion can adopt more sustainable alternatives to traditional materials.

Q: What material did the speaker fall in love with during his research?

The speaker fell in love with spider silk during his research. He started a company to recreate this material in a lab and even made a tie out of it. He sent the tie to Stan Lee, the co-creator of Spider-Man, who loved it.

Q: Why is leather problematic in terms of sustainability?

Leather is a pivotal material in the fashion industry, but it is linked to the extensive raising of cows, which has detrimental effects on the environment. The production of leather requires a large amount of land and contributes to deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions.

Q: How did the speaker attempt to find an alternative to leather?

The speaker turned to the world of fungi to find an alternative to leather. He discovered mycelium, the network of stringy strands found underneath mushrooms, which has a similar microstructure to collagen in cowhide.

Q: How is mycelium grown and transformed into a leather-like material?

The speaker and his team built a factory to grow mycelium using high-density vertical agriculture powered by renewable energy. They then transformed the mycelium into a material called Mylo, which is beautiful, functional, and sustainable. They went through multiple iterations to create a material that meets the standards of the fashion industry.

Q: How are fashion brands supporting the use of Mylo?

Fashion brands such as Stella McCartney, lululemon, Kering, and Adidas have formed the Mylo Consortium to collaborate in solving the sustainability problem in fashion. They have incorporated Mylo into their products, including yoga accessories, handbags, and redesigned iconic styles like the Stan Smith shoe.

Q: Is Mylo commercially available and affordable?

Yes, Mylo is commercially viable and currently sold for $30 per square foot, which is comparable in price to premium calf leather. This availability and affordability make it a promising and tangible proof that sustainable materials can be used in the future of fashion.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The speaker, a self-proclaimed nerd with a PhD in chemistry, discusses his unexpected love for fashion and the sustainability crisis in the industry due to materials like leather.

• He introduces Mylo, a sustainable material made from mycelium, and explains how it replicates the microstructure of collagen in cowhide to create a leather-like material.

• The speaker highlights the collaboration with major fashion brands and the commercial viability of Mylo, emphasizing the potential for fashion to lead the way in sustainability and making the planet more livable.