Searches for next gen leather alternatives have grabbed the attention of those keen to find a more sustainable alternative to animal-based leather in recent years. H&M has featured the cactus-based leather of Mexican company Desserto while Zara has used Ananas Anam's pineapple-based Pinatex.
But the alt leather industry suffered a blow earlier this year when one of the frontrunners, Bolt Threads announced it was halting production of its mushroom-based product - despite the support of Stella McCartney, Adidas and Lululemon - after failing to raise the funding needed to scale up.
