logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2022
17m 50s

Why food could be the future of fashion

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Fashion is one of the world’s most polluting industries – more than half of everything we wear is still made from plastic.

In the search for more sustainable ingredients – designers are now turning to those you would normally find on your plate.

Katie Barnfield travels to Sherwood Forest in England to meet Ashley Granter and Aurélie Fontan from Mykko – a company making leather from mycelium, the root system of mushrooms.

Fancy a food based swimsuit? We talk to Dr Kate Riley from Textile Exchange about new developments in so-called bio synthetics.

And in the race to adopt these new materials, could some brands be accused of greenwashing? Rachel Cernansky from Vogue Business takes us through the controversy.

Produced and presented by Katie Barnfield.

(Image: Mushrooms growing on a tree branch. Credit: Getty)

Up next
Yesterday
Business Daily meets: Fani Titi, Investec CEO
The South African grew up under the racist apartheid system as one of 14 children. He looked set for a life in farming, until a chance event took him down a different path – ultimately becoming CEO of the multinational banking group, Investec. Presenter: Leanna Byrne Producer: El ... Show More
17m 27s
Oct 8
Small country: Big tariffs
We head to Switzerland, a small but very successful country with a population of just 9 million.And now coping with some of US President Donald Trump’s highest tariffs. In August the original threat of 31% tariffs was raised to 39%. Two months on, efforts to negotiate with Washin ... Show More
17m 30s
Oct 7
Should we expect more airline delays?
Passengers are suffering more disruption as technology at airports, airlines and air traffic control is failing.But why is aviation software becoming more prone to failure and vulnerable to cyber-attacks, and what is the solution to preventing delays?Presented and produced by Rus ... Show More
17m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2020
Making fashion sustainable
Fashion is a hugely polluting industry and is under enormous pressure to become more sustainable. From the way cotton is grown, to the use of synthetic materials and the conditions in factories where our clothes are made - these are all challenges facing the sector. In this progr ... Show More
28m 2s
Oct 2023
Why are we making pizza boxes out of endangered trees? | Nicole Rycroft
If we're going to solve the climate crisis, we need to talk about supply chains, says biodiversity champion and 2023 Audacious Project grantee Nicole Rycroft. Her organization, Canopy, partners with key industry leaders to overhaul their base materials in favor of more sustainabl ... Show More
12m 47s
Dec 2023
How to fix fashion and protect the planet | Amy Powney
From the field to your closet, your clothes go on a long journey before they enter your life. Designer Amy Powney explores the fashion industry's brutal impact on the environment and human health, modeling what ethical, planet-friendly clothing can look like — and inviting us all ... Show More
13m 19s
Apr 2024
Redefining luxury fashion
The fashion industry is the third largest manufacturing industry in the world consuming huge amounts of the world’s resources and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. But some innovators are trying to make the industry more sustainable. We discover how old fire hoses in the ... Show More
22m 57s
Feb 2024
Arizona Muse on Modelling and Fashion’s Dirty Roots
In 2010, model Arizona Muse was catapulted into the fashion spotlight.  After opening and closing Prada’s Spring/Summer 2011 show, she was signed as a  face of the brand. But after years of the modelling, grind and some serious personal reflection, the British-American model has ... Show More
46m 22s
Apr 2023
Green is the New Black
Clothing recycling along with second-hand and rental markets have significantly decreased waste in the fashion industry. Today in 2050, every garment tells a story. This transparency about an item’s provenance empowers consumers to make responsible choices. At Tokyo Fashion Week, ... Show More
27m 13s
Jul 2022
The future of fashion -- made from mushrooms | Dan Widmaier
Your closet is likely full of all kinds of materials -- leather, cotton, nylon and polyester, to name a few -- that contribute to fashion’s sustainability crisis. Biomaterials investigator Dan Widmaier explains how we could look to nature for sustainable replacements for these mu ... Show More
10m 21s
Nov 2021
How This Cashmere Cardigan Wants to Save the Planet One Goat at a Time
Back in May, we learned about the lowest carbon footprint sneaker with Cariuma cofounders David Python and Fernando Porto. Today we’ll be diving into a different type of clothing - luxury fashion.Talib sat down with Vanessa Barboni Hallik, the founder and CEO of Another Tomorrow, ... Show More
29m 17s
Oct 2021
Fast Fashion | Can Fast Fashion Sustain Itself? | 6
Fast fashion has a crisis on its hands. The industry is wreaking havoc on the environment, and even the execs are starting to notice. Massive amounts of pollution and textile waste have taken a toll on the planet as these shops continue to send runway styles to mainstream markets ... Show More
26m 16s