Fashionable fungi: Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger parent partners with mushroom leather maker Ecovative

In New York, mycelium materials company Ecovative has partnered with a number of brands, including the group behind Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, to create a sustainable fashion cooperative to advance mushroom-based leather. 

Under the terms of the agreement, brands overseen by founding partners PVH Corp. and Bestseller will work with Ecovative to codevelop custom materials based on their needs. 

“At PVH we are excited to explore innovations that reduce the environmental impact of our products,” Rebecca England, VP of Innovation, PVH Europe, said in a press statement. “Mycelium provides us with an opportunity to respond to growing consumer interest in lower impact products while supporting quality and design that meet the needs and expectations of our consumers –  in this case, made with 100% bio-based resources.” 

In March of last year Ecovative launched ForagerT Hides, an alternative leather material that can be grown quickly and in accordance with customers’ performance needs.