It’s been a few years since the glittering promises of pineapple leather appeared in our newsfeeds. What’s happening now in the area of next-gen materials innovation? Quite a lot, as it turns out. The Material Innovation Initiative (MII)’s new report, “Brand Engagement with Next-Gen Materials 2023,” highlights a surge in collaboration over the past year between innovative materials companies and apparel, accessories, footwear and homeware brands. From Gucci to Stella McCartney, major fashion brands are embracing next-gen materials at a rapid pace in 2023.
The Material Innovation Initiative (MII) is a non-profit organization that advances the development of higher-performing and more sustainable materials for the fashion, automotive and home goods industries.
Why are brands preferring these new animal and petroleum-free alternatives to “established” materials like leather, wool, silk, down and fur? Because animal-derived materials typically have incredibly high environmental impacts across a variety of categories, including water use, biodiversity loss, eutrophication, and greenhouse gas emissions.
The United Nations Environment Program found that the fashion sector alone impacts humanity’s ability to achieve eight of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, including responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water and life on land. The use of harmful raw materials can have a significant impact on a brand’s environmental impact.
Many next-generation materials also offer the advantage of circumventing the widespread human rights issues and poorly regulated animal welfare standards in the developing countries where most animal materials are produced. These innovative materials are designed so that their ecological footprint is significantly smaller compared to conventional alternatives. Through advanced manufacturing techniques, sustainable sourcing and improved end-of-life considerations, these materials are designed to minimize resource consumption and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The various brand collaborations we have seen in this space in 2023 show that both brands and consumers want this new class of materials.
Over 380 collaborations in 2023
The report highlights that there were over 380 collaborations between innovative next-gen companies and fashion, homeware and automotive brands worldwide last year.
Next-gen materials are defined as materials derived from abundant, renewable and non-toxic resources such as plants, algae, agricultural waste, fungi, microbes, captured CO2 and recycled plastic. They reduce global warming potential by more than 90 percent compared to their conventional counterparts and have the potential to save trillions of animal lives every year. Their production, use and disposal do not use chemicals harmful to human health or safety, and their supply chains and practices are designed with sustainability and social justice at their core.
This huge increase in collaborations shows that brands are eagerly exploring and adopting these new sustainable materials. The report shows that major fashion brands such as Gucci, Stella McCartney, Ganni and Tory Burch are leading the way in introducing plant-based and lab-grown sustainable alternatives to leather, silk, cashmere, wool, down and fur.
“We have seen an explosion in collaboration between innovators working with both large and small brands around the world,” said Thomasine Dolan Dow, director of materials innovation and design at MII.
Although the industry is still in its early stages, 2023 was a promising year for the adoption of next-gen materials by major brands.
Growth through consumer demand
The boom in collaboration with next-gen materials is fueled in part by strong consumer demand. The MII consumption study “Next-gen materials: A 2023 assessment of the potential for US consumer adoption” found high interest among US consumers in purchasing fashion, household goods and automotive products made from next-gen materials. 90 percent of those surveyed were open to purchasing such materials.
The research found that a significant segment of potential early adopters were willing to pay a premium for next-gen products – 78 percent of respondents were willing to pay the same or higher price for such materials. Brands are taking note of this and trying to meet consumer demand for sustainable options.
“Brands want to meet consumer demand while demonstrating their sustainability through innovative materials and supply chains,” said MII CEO Nicole Rawling.
See innovations at major trade fairs
The next-gen materials industry has also been featured at major international trade shows such as Texworld NYC, one of the largest global sourcing trade shows, over the last year, demonstrating the growing interest from brands in sourcing next-gen materials.
MII hosted the Next-Gen Innovation Hub at Texworld NYC, where around 4,500 brands, sourcing agents, students and industry experts learned about innovative materials they had probably never heard of.
More expected for 2024
With many innovators now at commercial scale, brands can collaborate with suppliers of next-gen materials. MII’s recently released “Next-Gen Materials Lookbook” highlights new product launches for 2024 that utilize next-generation leather, silk, wool, down and fur alternatives.
As opportunities grow, transparency increases and costs decrease, we can expect the use of next-gen materials in fashion to continue to increase through 2024 and beyond. Brands want to meet consumer demand while demonstrating their sustainability through innovative materials and supply chains.
“I’ve been a fashion designer my whole life and I’m not so interested in the next silhouette or the next color in 2024 and ’25,” Stella McCartney told CNN. “I’m like, ‘What’s the next material? What is the next solution we can give the world to make it a better planet?’”
Overview of some recent releases from brands:
Gucci relies on next-gen leather
Italian luxury brand Gucci has made several accessories, including bags and sneakers, using its new Demetra material. Demetra is a vegetable-based leather alternative developed by Gucci.
Gucci has also tapped musician Billie Eilish to promote the Demetra line, leveraging her notoriety and commitment to sustainability.
Stella McCartney presents next-gen innovators
British designer Stella McCartney, a pioneer of ethical fashion, hosted a fashion show and sustainable market on the streets of Paris. Their collection showcased next-gen leather, silk and down, while the market stalls allowed innovative companies such as Natural Fiber Welding, Keel Labs and BioFluff to showcase their latest materials.
Mara Hoffman presents ‘Dress of the Future’
New York designer Mara Hoffman has teamed up with textile recycling startup Circ to create a limited-edition “dress of the future” made entirely from Circ’s recycled lyocell material. The vibrant, silk-like dress represents the potential of circularity in fashion.
Tory Burch upcycles cult bag
American luxury brand Tory Burch has relaunched its classic Ella bag with Modern Meadow’s next-gen Bio-Tex leather. The “Ella Bio Tote” is available in three sizes and several colors.
The Material Innovation Initiative is driving the next materials revolution by connecting science and big ideas. It focuses on research, knowledge sharing and fostering connections to accelerate the development of environmentally friendly and animal-free materials. You can find the reports referred to in this article here on the website.
This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.uk. Translated and edited by Simone Preuss.