Our regular followers might recognise this coat - the “Balenciaga Maxi Hooded Wrap Coat” - made from SQIM’s epheaTM mycelium material. It debuted in March 2022 as part of the @Balenciaga’s Winter 22 360° show. And the reason for sharing it again? Well, it’s the exciting announcement today that the coat will available in select stores for purchase at the end of October 🙌 🍄 ⁠ ⁠ And while luxury pricing is out of reach for most of us, the importance of these types of milestones cannot be overstated. As the technologies scale over the coming years, more accessible products will enter the market. ⁠ ⁠ The Balenciaga coat, finished with non-toxic treatment, is the first fashion item made of mycelium material to go on sale with a luxury brand. And while the material obviously most closely resembles leather, we love the fact that Balenciaga showed the creative vision and bravery to not emboss the @ephea_mycelium material with a calf grain instead allowing its natural texture to be the aesthetic. ⁠ ⁠ “Thanks to the key partnership with Balenciaga, today epheaTM delivers a truly concrete impact in fashion, while inspiring others in greatly lessening environmental impacts, and shortening the gap between Humans and Nature through the introduction of innovative, Nature-based, technologies, materials, and products with high added value, at industrial scale. Going beyond any form of shallow substitution, epheaTM is a radical material revolution resulting from the combination of unique biotechnological processes with advanced material science, opening a whole new world of possibilities, while contributing to shaping a more ethically and ecologically responsible fashion industry.” (Maurizio Montalti, ​​Chief Mycelium Officer, and co-Founder of SQIMTM) ⁠ ⁠ To learn more head to the link in our bio ⁠ ⁠ ...⁣ ⁠ #Biofab #LAUNCH⁣ ⁠ ...⁣ ⁠ ⁠ #biofabricate #design #biotech #biotechnology #biofabricated #biomaterials #biodesign #materialrevolution #AW2022 #Balenciaga #MOGU #EPHEA #SQIM #mycelium #mushroomleather #myceliumleather #alternativeleather #designscience #materialinnovation #newmaterial #sustainable #sustainability #sustainablefuture #circulareconomy #materialinnovators