Stella McCartney Frayme is the world’s first mushroom leather bag featured in a runway show

The Stella McCartney Frayme is the world’s first bag made from Mylo™️ to be part of a runway show. Titled the Frayme Mylo™️, it was launched during the sustainable luxury pioneer’s Summer 2022 collection presentation on 4 October during Paris Fashion Week. Mylo™️ is a material innovation by Bolt Threads and is a verified vegan, sustainable, animal-free leather alternative made from mycelium – the infinitely renewable underground root system of fungi.

Stella and Bolt Threads have been partners in sustainable innovation since 2017, and the luxury house has been part of the Mylo™️ journey since its inception. Combining deep science with high-fashion design, the Frayme Mylo™️ showcases the capabilities of this next-generation material and is the first of many anticipated commercial offerings. The Frayme bag is a new Stella icon – a bold vegan style re-energising classic brand codes inspired by the iconic Falabella tote including an oversized recyclable aluminium chain strap that runs around the bag as well as a zamac statement medallion.

“For my Summer 2022 collection, I was so inspired by fungi and their incredible potential for saving our planet – and the Frayme Mylo™️ embodies that hope for the future. Our long-time partners at Bolt Threads and I have a shared passion for material innovation and launching a luxury handbag made from Mylo™️ mycelium leather is a landmark moment not only for us, but the world. What you see on the runway today is the conscious fashion industry of tomorrow.” – Stella McCartney

“With good reason, consumers are demanding sustainable material alternatives that also look and feel great. Working closely with Stella and her team of innovative designers has enabled us to make Mylo™️ a no-compromise, animal-free alternative to leather. The Frayme Mylo™️ bag is a huge milestone for sustainable fashion, making better material options accessible to consumers all around the world.” – Dan Widmaier, Founder and CEO Bolt Threads

Inspired by its McCartney A to Z Manifesto and 20th anniversary in 2021, Stella McCartney is more committed than ever to bringing a conscience to the fashion industry – having never used leather, feathers, fur or skins since day one. In October 2020, Stella McCartney was announced as part of an exclusive consortium of brands working with Mylo™️, exploring its uses and providing critical feedback to the Bolt Threads team. The first product ever created with Mylo™️ was a prototype of Stella’s iconic Falabella bag, which debuted as part of the V&A’s Fashioned from Nature exhibition in 2018, and the brand launched the world’s first garments made from Mylo™️ in 2021.

Remarkably similar to animal leather yet designed to reduce environmental impacts, Mylo™️ is a soft, substantial material that is certified bio-based, meaning it is made predominantly from renewable ingredients found in nature today. Mycelium is regenerative and thrives abundantly in the wild feeding on natural resources. Scientists at Bolt Threads have learned how to reproduce what happens under the forest floor, where mycelium grows best, in a lab to create Mylo™️ with mulch, air and water and using 100% renewable energy – spawning an entirely new category of material science.

This state-of-the-art process is designed to have a minimal environmental impact and takes days, not years like raising cattle. It requires 17,000 litres of water to produce a kilogram of leather, with animal agriculture accounting for approximately 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions and driving the destruction of vital ecosystems; 70-80% of the Amazon’s deforested area is now used for cattle pastures. Mylo™️ is also not petroleum-based, unlike synthetic leathers, meaning more fossil fuels can be kept in the ground and less plastic is deposited into landfills and oceans.

The Frayme Mylo™️ continues Stella McCartney’s cruelty-free legacy and leadership. The brand introduced the first vegan luxury ‘it bag’ with the iconic Falabella tote in 2009 and has sold over 1 million since then, preventing the deaths of approximately 400,000 cows. Animal agriculture is a driver of climate change and deforestation, and accounts for approximately 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

About Bolt Threads and Mylo™️

Bolt Threads is on a mission to create way better materials for a way better world by developing sustainable solutions for the apparel and beauty industries. With nature as inspiration, Bolt invents and scales materials that put us on a path towards a more sustainable future. In 2020, Bolt announced the Mylo™️ consortium with iconic global companies – adidas, Kering, lululemon, and Stella McCartney – coming together to secure exclusive access to its mycelium-based leather alternative, Mylo™. Bolt Threads is based in Emeryville, Calif. and is one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative companies. To learn more, please visit www.boltthreads.com, www.mylo-unleather.com or @mylo_unleather on social.

About Stella McCartney

Stella McCartney is a luxury lifestyle brand that was launched under the designer’s name in 2001. Stella’s approach to design emphasizes sharp tailoring, natural confidence and an effortless attitude. The brand is committed to being an ethical and modern company, believing it is responsible for the resources it uses and the impact it has on the environment. It is therefore constantly exploring innovative ways to become more sustainable, from designing to store practices and product manufacturing. As a lifelong vegetarian, Stella McCartney never uses any leather, fur, skins or feather in any products for both ethical and environmental reasons, setting a standard for the use of alternative materials. Supporting circularity, the brand is embracing new business models that will transform how clothes are produced, sold, shared, repaired and reused; promoting long-lasting product with extended use to reduce environmental impact.

The brand now offers women and menswear ready-to-wear, as well as handbags, shoes and a kids line. It has also developed under licensing eyewear, lingerie, swimwear, fragrances and a long-term partnership with adidas. The collections are currently available in more than 100 countries at wholesale, and through 49 freestanding stores including London, New York, Paris, Milan, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Read more about Stella McCartney on the brandpage: fashionunited.com/companies/stella-mccartney