mycotech creates the world’s first watch made from mushroom mycelium

an alternative to the highly-polluting leather industry, the watches are made from mylea, a vegan material grown out of mycelium.

Mycotech edited by lynne myers March 14, 2019 2 min

the indonesia-based biotech startup, mycotech, presents their first kickstarter campaign launched using their newly-developed leather-like material made from mushroom mycelium called mylea™️. in collaboration with pala nusantara, one of the most prominent handmade-wooden watchmakers in indonesia, they have created the world’s first mushroom watch, named pala x mylea™.

mycotech creates the world's first watch made from mushroom mycelium designboom

the range of watches using mylea™, a leather-like material made from mushroom mycelium

all images courtesy of mycotech

as the fashion industry is currently one of the top 3 industries contributing to global warming, mycotech has developed the vegan ‘leather’ in an effort to deliver a sustainable and affordable material from renewable resources. the production of wallets, handbags and shoes from traditional leather accounts for the slaughter of hundreds of millions of cows every year. in addition, between the tannery and the dye house, leather receives multiple applications of dangerously toxic chemical preservatives, colorants, stiffeners, and modifiers to give it its desired finish. grown out of mushroom mycelium, mylea™️ offers a real alternative to traditional leather.

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the mylea™ natural dyed color, from indonesian local wood

moreover, indonesia produces more than 120 million tons of agricultural waste, with less than 10% being recycled. mylea™ aims to minimize the carbon footprint of fashion goods as it utilizes agricultural waste and uses biodegradable materials throughout the entire process. the production of mylea™ also gives positive social and environmental impact by processing more agricultural waste and collaborating with local farmers. the pala x mylea™ watch kickstarter project is the first step in an effort by mycotech to increase their production and fulfil a larger market demand, while also striving to further their research and explore more sustainable materials, making it possible for everyone to use it in many different applications.

mycotech creates the world's first watch made from mushroom mycelium designboom
the pala x mylea™ watch

mycotech creates the world's first watch made from mushroom mycelium designboom
detail of the watch

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mycotech partners: local mushroom farmers from bandung indonesia

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sugarcane waste

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indonesian agricultural waste

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andang m syamsuri and ilham pinastiko from pala nusantara

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the mycotech eco factory in bandung, indonesia

project info:

project name: pala x mylea™

design: mycotech

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.