Mushroom Leather Hat is a Statement to Sustainable Fashion

0 shares Share 0 Tweet 0 Pin 0 Share 0 This chic bucket hat is the first-ever commercial object made entirely from Reishi, a premium vegan leather created with mycelium. The hat, named the Reishi Boletus, is a …

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This chic bucket hat is the first-ever commercial object made entirely from Reishi, a premium vegan leather created with mycelium. The hat, named the Reishi Boletus, is a product of a partnership between biomaterials innovator MycoWorks and famed hatmaker Nick Fouquet.

Apart from the Boletus, Fouquet has designed and produced two more hats — the Coprinus and the Morchella. These hats use Reishi for decorative trims.

Treehugger reports that mycelium is the infinitely renewable root structure of mushrooms which is capable of growing and developing into a material that feels like and is strong like the finest animal-based leather.

Reishi is described as a completely natural, non-animal biomaterial that allows artisans like Fouquet to "use the same leather-working tools and skills that they've acquired over a lifetime of working with leather." Fouquet himself is excited to experiment with a high-end alternative to leather. He says on his website, "I'm always on the lookout for renewable fabrics to work with... The moment I saw the MycoWorks Reishi leather alternative, I had to get my hands on it."

This is a breakthrough development.

Reishi can be tanned without harmful substances like chrome, dyed, embossed, and stitched like animal-based leather, but with a far lower environmental impact.

If you want the Reishi Boletus, it’ll cost you — it retails for $810. These hats are designed to last a lifetime, to travel and age alongside you. The price of mycelium-based products will surely come down, as production methods improve and spread.

Plastic-based vegan leathers such as polyurethane and polyvinyl are no better than plastic — they degrade very slowly, contaminating the environment as they do.

In time, mycelium might prove a sustainable replacement for plastic and animal-sourced materials.

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Nikola Gemeš

Highlights • 10 years of writing and editing experience Obsessed with home decor trends, plant parenting, cleaning, and other lifestyle topics. • Expertise in content marketing and email strategy for brands and small businesses About Nikola Gemeš Nikola Gemeš, an electrical engineer turned sustainability consultant, bridges the gap between complex environmental concepts and GreenCitizen readers with his well-researched, accurate content. His commitment to sustainability extends from his professional life to personal practices of recycling and home-grown food. An adventurer at heart, Nikola enjoys hiking, white-water sports, and pocket knife collecting. At Green Citizen, he's instrumental in presenting the best sustainable brands, aiding well-informed decision-making. He firmly believes in the collective power of individuals, experts, businesses, and governments to foster a world where sustainability, life quality, economic prosperity, diversity, mental health, and gender equality are core values. Experience Nikola Gemeš has a rich and diverse background in electrical engineering, which he utilizes to break down complex sustainability topics for his readers. His unique blend of technical knowledge and communicative skills has made him a crucial part of GreenCitizen. Nikola's experience has honed his ability to navigate through intricate data and research, ensuring the content he delivers is both accurate and reliable. His passion for educating and informing is palpable in the impact he has made on Green Citizen's readership. Outside of his professional endeavors, Nikola is deeply committed to environmental conservation in his personal life. This commitment is reflected in his everyday activities, from recycling to cultivating his own food. His hands-on approach to sustainability gives him a first-hand understanding of practical conservation efforts, further enriching the content he produces. These personal experiences often seep into his work, making it relatable and engaging for readers. Nikola's key role extends to assessing and presenting sustainable brands to his audience. His comprehensive grasp of sustainability allows him to critically evaluate and offer the best environmentally-friendly options available on the market. He aids readers in making informed decisions that have a positive impact on both their lives and the environment. His belief in collective efforts towards a sustainable world is evident in his work, as he consistently promotes values of quality life, economic prosperity, diversity, mental health, and gender equality.