With concern for wildlife and the environment on the rise, leather alternatives obtained from vegetal or synthetic materials are gaining ground in the latest collections. On March 11, Business of Fashion announced that Hermès itself would begin offering its "Victoria" travel bag in a new sustainable material called "Sylvania," conceived by California's MycoWorks and made from mushrooms. It's an earthy taste of revolution for the celebrated French leather goods company. Likewise, on March 17 the UK's Stella McCartney unveiled its latest creations in "Mylo," another leather alternative that's also composed of mushrooms, created by another Californian company, Bolt Threads.
Aside from these myco-alternatives, other kinds of vegan leather have been produced from pineapple (Piñatex), corn, cactus, and even apples, while additional options are being developed. At footwear label Rombaut they're based on polyester and polyurethane, also found at Saks Potts and Simon Miller.