Reishi™
id card
Mycelium
composition
Chitin
building blocks
Organic
material origin
Sheets, Non-woven
shape
6 – demonstrated in relevant environment
TRL
The Fine Mycelium™ is a patented process engineers mycelium cells as they grow to create three dimensional, interlocking structures that give Reishi™ its inherent strength and durability. Unlike “mushroom leather” (compressed mycelium) or traditional leather, Reishi™ is custom-grown to finely tune for fullness and the highest performance standards.
Properties
Durable, it withstands wear well.
Supple, it bends and folds gracefully, check the video for a moving close up.
Faster production cycle than leather, in 6 weeks the mycellium grows, is stabilised and ready.
Sensuous, your skin reacts well on Reishi™.
Strong, due to its woven structure resembling the tight, triple-helix of collagen.
Engineerable, MycoWorks makes a bold promise here. Fine Mycelium can be fully optimized from initial growth to the final stage of harvest, different properties – softness, drape, thickness, shape, texture, flexibility, strength, density, etc – can be adjusted to the liking of the designer.
Reishi™ matches the strength and durability of cowhide, as tested by Vartest, one of the world’s most respected leather testing houses.
Cyclability
Reuse – Imagine having that legendary Hermes-Reishi bag in a vintage store!
APPLICATIONS
Bags, even the leathergoods Hermes had to give it a try.
Garments, footwear, accessories, you name it.
FOOTWEAR APPLICATIONS
Upper
Production process
New sheets of Reishi are harvested every day, and precise moments in the life cycle of individual sheets can be traced back for constant fine-tuning of the process. The rapid growth cycles are essential for learning and striving for perfection in meeting client specifications, so growth metrics are closely monitored by MycoWorks biologists and engineers.
Can be grown into any shape or form, reducing waste in fabrication and enhancing speed to market.
Can be tanned without chrome, dyed, embossed and stitched. Béatrice Amblard, a close MW collaborator and leather master says –
"Stitching is the true test and we had no problems—it was very, very similar to stitching leather."
Manufacturing facts
Less than 6 weeks
production time
MycoWorks manufactures the mycelium sheets in house. The post process tanning is done by their spanish partner Curtidos Badia.
MycoWorks has a focus on company culture that they also like to talk about, as if it were to inspire others to follow. Their team consists of a fine mix of scientists and people with unexpected backgrounds that are now discovering the mastery of mycelium.
the factory
Behind the screen
Mylea
products
Philip Ross, Sophia Wang & Matt Scullinand
founders
2013
Emeryville, California, USA
time & place
Curtidos Badia, Hermes
partnerships