Pineapple leaves, mushrooms can dominate future fashion

Fabrics made from pineapple leaves, mushrooms and eucalyptus can be a new source of materials to create future outfits.

Future textiles and fashion may undergo major changes as inventors discover new bio-fabric materials made from pineapple leaves, mushrooms and eucalyptus fibers, according to Tree Hugger.

Costumes made from mushrooms.(Photo: Dezeen).

The advantage of bio-fabric is that it is more durable, does not use much water and pesticides such as cotton plants, does not cause environmental pollution like polyester fiber.

Pinatex fabric

Dr. Carmen Hijosa partnered with material company Ananas Anam to find a way to use pineapple leaves to create a new material called Pinatex. This eco-friendly, biodegradable material has the potential to replace animal skin materials that are being used on many types of apparel today.

Pinatex fabric is an alternative to animal skin.(Photo: Pinatex).

Pinatex fabric is made from cellulose fiber in pineapple byproducts. Cellulose fibers are joined together to become a breathable, durable, lightweight and quite flexible fabric. Fabric surface is also very easy to print and stitch.

It is estimated that about 40,000 tons of pineapple leaves are created worldwide each year, most of them are burned or biodegradable. According to Dezeen, to create a m2 of Pinatex cloth needs about 480 pineapple leaves, at a lower production cost than animal skin.

MycoTEX fabric

Aniela Hoitink, Dutch designer, made MycoTEX fabric from many small white hyphae combined. Costumes made from this fabric can be three-dimensional elastic, suitable for the size of the wearer's body.

Patterns of fabric made from mushroom mycelium.(Photo: NEFFA).

MycoTEX fabric has many useful features such as easy to repair, stretch or replace, mushroom mycelium creates beautiful decorative patterns. After use, clothing made from MycoTEX fabric can be used as fertilizer.

Apparel can be made from MycoTEX fabric by applying fabric directly to the mold, without sewing stitches. In addition, this fabric has precious properties such as skin care, anti-bacterial, environmentally friendly, according to NEFFA.

Eucalyptus fiber

New fabrics made from eucalyptus trees are quite durable.(Photo: Wool and the Gang).

Wool & the Gang, UK textile company, successfully built a new, quite durable new yarn called Tina Tape made from eucalyptus. Harvested eucalyptus wood is crushed to make yarn through a closed system.

The fiber made from this process is called Tencel , which is said to be environmentally friendly because it is produced in a closed, reusable solvent and water system. However, there has not been much research on this new fiber so far.