Mushrooms made into high fashion and classy bags? It sounds slightly unbelievable, but Stella McCartney, the famous British fashion designer, recently made the first “leather” garment from mushrooms. “clothing.
Yes, you heard it right: mushroom leather fashion.
Mushroom leather is made from a material called mycelium, which is the root of mushrooms.
World-renowned fashion designer McCartney, an outspoken vegan, is opposed to the use of animal skins for fashion and the adverse environmental impact this can have, and has actively lobbied for this.
In fact, just recently, French luxury brand Hermes also announced that it will soon launch a classic bag made from mushrooms to support the trend of sustainability in the fashion industry.
The raising of animals by humans to provide food and clothing materials is one of the causes of climate change. It is also associated with deforestation and water pollution.
Unlike other man-made leathers, mushroom leather is a completely natural material and is also biodegradable. Therefore it will not break the ring of the earth.
But this is not the only amazing thing about mushrooms, here we have sorted out five interesting facts for you.
One, there is a huge variety
There are at least 350 species of mushrooms that are edible to humans, a real variety.
These include the pricey truffles, vegetarian meat made from mushroom proteins and those used in cheese and yeast sauces.
That’s not all, scientists believe there are more than 2,000 new species of mushrooms being discovered each year. Even human fingernails have fungi growing in them.
The value of mushroom food consumed by humans each year is upwards of £32.5 billion (about RMB 290 billion).
Two, rich in vitamin D
Even the common white mushroom contains more antioxidants than most other vegetables. Antioxidants are used by the body’s cells to fight various diseases including cancer.
Mushrooms are also rich in vitamin D, which the body uses to maintain healthy bones, teeth and muscles.
The first antibiotic produced by humans, penicillin (also known as penicillin), came from a fungus called penicillin. Penicillin has since become one of the most commonly used antibiotics to treat a variety of infectious diseases.
Scientists believe that many more species of bacteria can be used in the future to treat infections and reduce inflammation.
Third, packaging materials
Mushrooms can not only produce fashion fabrics, but also use it as a packaging material.
Mycelium material from the roots of mushrooms has been used by furniture maker IKEA and computer company Dell for packaging materials.
IKEA and Dell chose mushrooms for their packaging because they are durable, environmentally friendly, and biodegradable in a matter of weeks.
In addition, mushrooms can be used to make brightly colored dyes. When mixed with a solvent, mushrooms can be made into almost every color in the rainbow.
An acid from the fungus is used in the making of plastic parts for cars, synthetic rubber, and Lego.
Four, the glittering mushroom
Scientists believe there are at least 75 species of mushrooms that glow in the dark.
There is a story that more than 100 years ago a scientist named Gardner, when visiting Brazil, found many children playing with giant glowing “fireflies” in the street.
At least he thought they were fireflies, but the children were actually playing with giant wood-rotting mushrooms that glowed in the dark.
But scientists have never understood why these mushrooms will glow in the dark.
In fact, it is estimated that there are a total of 3.8 million species of fungi in the world, and more than 90 percent remain unsolved mysteries of science.
Five, Ancient Egyptian royal delicacies
In ancient Egypt, not everyone could enjoy a mushroom feast.
So the next time you taste a garlic portobello mushroom (also known as a portobello mushroom), think of the ancient Egyptians.
According to hieroglyphics dating back more than 4,600 years, the ancient Egyptians saw mushrooms as divine objects of immortality.
The status of mushrooms was so high that ordinary people were not allowed to touch them at all, and only princes and nobles were allowed to enjoy them.
Recent Comments