Vollebak constructed the Mycelium Jacket as a unique concept piece that explores what will become possible in the future, since mycelium is already being treated as a living system in speculative biology, architecture and computing. This fully lined, soft mycelium leather jacket has a form inspired by the iconic A-2 flight jacket, featuring double-layer front pockets, a zippered interior pocket and other details, but it's the use of a futuristic biomaterial that really makes this garment interesting.
"Mycelium is a billion-year-old biotechnology," said Vollebak. "It powers entire ecosystems, recycles the dead, and NASA thinks we can probably use it to grow houses on Mars. So we’ve used it to make the softest mycelium leather jacket ever made. But we think it may also be conscious. So maybe be extra nice to it."
Programmed Mycelium Jackets
Vollebak Created a Super-Soft, One-af-A-Kind Concept Piece
Trend Themes
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Programmable Biomaterials — New mycelium-based materials that can be grown and tuned to specific textures and properties enable garments and products with customizable lifecycle and functional traits.
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Conscious Materials — Materials exhibiting adaptive, responsive, or sensor-like behaviors open possibilities for products that alter performance or aesthetics in response to users and environments.
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Biomimetic Fashion Tech — Designs inspired by biological systems create clothing that integrates growth processes, self-repair, and ecological integration into wearable form factors.
Industry Implications
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Apparel and Textiles — The emergence of soft, leather-like mycelium offers alternatives to animal leather and synthetic polymers, reshaping supply chains and product differentiation in fashion.
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Construction and Architecture — Mycelium materials with structural and insulating properties suggest new approaches to sustainable building components and adaptable habitat elements.
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Aerospace and Space Habitats — Biologically grown materials that can be produced in situ present opportunities for lightweight, regenerative habitat construction and resource-efficient gear for off-world missions.