CHAPTER- 01

INTRODUCTION

Milos is a sustainable leather alternative made from mycelium, the root like system of
mushrooms. . As a material, Milos delivers the timeless aesthetic and luxurious feel of
leather, but without the planetary impact associated with raising livestock.
While cows require extensive resources and years to raise, the mycelium used to make
Milos is grown in less than two weeks inside a state-of-the-art vertical farming facility
powered by 100% renewable electricity.
The material that started a “mushroom leather” revolution, Milos was created. It is a
mycelium-based leather of choice for world-class brands including adidas, Stella
McCartney, and more.
Together with our growing network of brand partners, we've developed Milos to meet the
highest possible aesthetic and performance standards for high-end, lower impact products.
We provide you so many platforms and career opportunities.

1
 CHAPTER- 02
INDUSTRY PROFILE

WHAT IS MYCELIUM?

Mycelium (plural mycelia) is a root-like structure of a fungus consisting of a mass of

branching, thread-like hyphae. Fungal colonies composed of mycelium are found in and on
soil and many other substrates. A typical single spore germinates into a monokaryotic
mycelium, which cannot reproduce sexually; when two compatible monokaryotic mycelia
join and form a dikaryotic mycelium, that mycelium may form fruiting bodies such as
mushrooms. A mycelium may be minute, forming a colony that is too small to see, or may
grow to span thousands of acres as in Armillaria.Through the mycelium, a fungus absorbs
nutrients from its environment.

WHAT IS MYCELIUM FABRIC ?

Mycelium is the network of all the threads of a fungus, also called the root of the mushroom.
The material has excellent insulating and moisture-absorbing properties. Mycelium is only used
in its solid state, hence the use case of textiles is Mycelium textile or MycoTEX.

Phil Ross and his team at the San Francisco-based MycoWorks, a group of engineers,
designers, and scientists, are developing products inspired by fungi's lattice-like “roots,"
called Mycelium. According to the MycoWorks website, mycelium is carbon-negative and
can be naturally dyed to any colour, so your mushroom dress can be bright purple, fuchsia,
or Cerulean blue if tan seems too subtle.

There are many good reasons why we should consider using mycelium fabric in the future.
The fabric created from mycelium is non-toxic, waterproof, and fire-resistant. It can be as
thin as paper for dresses and lamp shades, or incredibly thick for heavy-duty items, and in
both cases, the end result is remarkably flexible and strong.

2
There is a large growing consumer demand for vegan lifestyle choices, with more concern for

animal welfare. A number of APPs for buying and recycling clothes have become very
popular. Fashion is entering a brave new and exciting world with new fabrics like
mycelium fabric, pineapple leather or hemp fabric.

3
 METHODS…..

For billions of years, mycelium has grown beneath our feet and served as ecological
connective tissue to all life on earth. A sprawling, infinitely renewable, interlaced web, it
threads through soil, breaks down organic matter, and provides nutrients to plants and trees.
To make Milos, the new alternative leather product from Bolt Threads, a process was
engineered to grow mycelium in a vertical farming facility powered by 100% renewable
energy and transform it into a material that looks and feels like animal leather. Soft, supple,
and less harmful to the environment, Milos is a bio-based leather alternative that is backed
by brands like adidas, lululemon, Stella McCartney, and more.
A team of scientists and engineers at Bolt Threads, Emeryville, CA/USA, have developed a
state-of-the-art process to grow and transform mycelium into a high-quality alternative for
animal and synthetic-based leather. The process begins with mycelium cells grown on beds
of sawdust and other organic material. Billions of cells grow to form an interconnected 3D
network which is processed, tanned, and dyed to make the end product. Once the mycelium
is harvested, the remaining material is composted.
After processing and dyeing, the sheet of mycelium that becomes the Milos material can be
used to make footwear, handbags, wallets, phone cases, and various other products.
4
How is mushroom fabric made?

There are several ways to make mushroom leather and these techniques are still being
enhanced today. The potential of this material is far reaching and could replace certain
plastics and reduce the need for animal agriculture to supply leather. Below we look at how
mushroom leather is made for a few different applications.

The Jonas Edvard Myx Mushroom Lamp

Jonas Edvard is a Danish Product Designer educated from the Royal Academy of Fine
Arts in Denmark. His work focused on research into raw and natural materials. It was in
2013 that he first presented his work with mycelium and he exhibited the MYX Lamp and
MYX Textile material samples at MaterialXperience in Jan 2014.

The lamps consist of plant fibre and mushroom-mycelium. The lamp was grown into shape
over a period of 2-3 weeks. The mushroom mycelium grew together with the plant fibres
into a flexible and soft living textile.

5
 CHAPTER- 03
OBJECTIVE OF STUDY

o To study the various properties of the mycelium and fabric formed.

o To save the environment as it saves flora and fauna.

o To reduce the waste.

o It helps in minimizing pollution

o It generates job opportunities for particular population.

o Saves animal lives and requires less water.

o It is healthier for people and planet.

 To bring the best innovation from nature and bring nature to the world of
design.

 As very little waste is being dumped, it increases the cleanliness of the

surroundings which has a very positive impact on the environment.

6
 CHAPTER- 04
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF IDEA

As Mycelium, the root-like system of fungi and key source of Milo’s biobased content, is an
infinitely renewable ingredient that can be grown with a fraction of the resources of animal
agriculture—using less land, inputs, and energy.

* 100% RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY

to power our vertical farming facilities.

* GROWN FROM RENEWABLE INPUTS

including water, air, and compostable substrate.

* UNIQUE MICROSCOPIC STRUCTURE

similar to the collagen fibrils found in animal hides, providing a supple warmth that is
missing from synthetic or cellulosic materials.

Milo has undergone 5,000 iterations to date, removing 100% of the animal compared to
traditional leather and more than 50% of the synthetic elements compared to pleather. With
no scrim and no backing, Milo promises to evolve to become an even better product with a
lighter environmental footprint over time.

* BIOBASED
Up to 80% bio content with no synthetic scrim or backing

* VERIFIED VEGAN
DNA tested, 100% animal-free.

7
* GENUINELY UNREAL
Nearly indistinguishable look and feel compared to traditional leather, ensuring wide
consumer adoption.

This is the future of fashion. This could change everything. A major step forward in the
fight to make fashion an industry that’s kinder to the planet……

8
 CHAPTER 5
THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK
(COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS)

PORTER’S FIVE FORCES

Since its introduction in 1979, Porter’s Five Forces has become the de facto
framework for industry analysis. The five forces measure the competitiveness of
the market deriving its attractiveness. The analyst uses conclusions derived from
the analysis to determine the company’s risk from in its industry (current or
potential). The five forces are
(1) Threat of New Entrants
(2) Threat of Substitute Products or Services
(3) Bargaining Power of Buyers
(4) Bargaining Power of Suppliers
(5) Competitive Rivalry Among Existing Firms

9
THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS

o Low barriers in the domestic market.

o Economies of scale are high.

Brand Identity of a company is this industry is high.

o Capital requirement to establish a regional or a national level

operation are high.
This industry is not lucrative.
 The companies operating at the national level do
manage to make economic profit but entry barriers at
this stage are very high.
Thus, the threat of new entrants is moderate.
THREAT OF SUBSTITUTES

The threat of substitution from the garments and textiles provided by

the unorganized sector is high.
Competition from low cost producing nations.
BARGAINING POWER OF CUSTOMERS

o High demand for apparels and home textiles in

markets.
o Product differences and brand identity are quite
high.
o Buyer concentration is very low.
o Buyer volume is generally
low.
o Buyer information is high.
o Ability to backward integrate is very low.

Thus, the bargaining power of buyers or customers are low.

BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS

o High avability of cotton

o High avability of labour

10
INDUSTRY RIVALRY

Fixed cost is high in this

industry. Brand identity is
high.
Exit barriers are also high for the national level
operations. Thus, the degree of rivalry in this industry
is high.

11
 CHAPTER 6
PESTLE ANALYSIS

A PEST analysis is one of them that are merely a framework that categorizes
environmental influences as political, economic, social and technological
forces. Sometimes two additional factors, environmental and legal, will be
added to make a PESTLE analysis, but these themes can easily be subsumed
in the others. The analysis examines the impact of each of these factors (and
their interplay with each other) on the business. The results can then be used to
take advantage of opportunities and to make contingency plans for threats
when preparing business and strategic plans.

12
 CHAPTER 7
SWOT ANALYSIS

SWOT analysis defines all over condition of any industry or organization.

This describes strength, weaknesses, opportunity, and threat of the textile
industry. It contains a study of the major internal and external factors affecting
the company in the form of a SWOT analysis.

STRENGTHS:

1. Indian Textile Industry is an Independent & Self-Reliant industry.

2. Abundant Raw Material availability that helps industry to control costs and
reduces the lead-time across the operation.
3. Availability of Low Cost and Skilled Manpower provides competitive
advantage to industry.
4. Availability of large no. of mycelium and has a fast-growing ability with
less water requirement.
5. India has great advantage in Spinning Sector and has a presence in all process
of operation and value chain.

13
6. Industry has large and diversified segments that provide wide variety of
products. Industry has Manufacturing Flexibility that helps to increase the
productivity.

WEAKNESSES:

o Indian Textile Industry is highly Fragmented

Industry. Industry is highly dependent on
Cotton.
o Lower Productivity in various
segments. There is Declining in
Mill Segment.
o Lack of Technological Development that affect the productivity and
other activities in whole value chain.
o Infrastructural Bottlenecks and Efficiency such as, Transaction Time
at Ports and transportation Time.
o Unfavorable labor Laws.
o Lack of Trade Membership, which restrict to tap other potential
market. Lacking to generate Economies of Scale.
o Higher Indirect Taxes, Power and Interest Rates.

14
 ADVANTAGES

1. Creation of pollution

The production of animal leather creates enormous amounts of pollution. A piece of

leather ready to be sold goes through a long process of tanning which requires
numerous dyes and chemicals. These unnecessary artificial chemicals are toxic to
people and the environment.

For example, one of the most common problem in tanneries is Chromium contamination.
Chromium is a popular hardening agent used to create animal leather.

Tanneries produce water and solid waste which contain Chromium. Eventually, this
metal makes its way into the water, air, soil, and the food of nearby communities. This
chemical is known to cause liver failure, kidney damage, lung cancer, and premature
dementia. It also makes the water undrinkable and it pollutes the marine life that is
eventually used as food.

Finally tanning animal leather harms the environment by filling the air with eye-burning
fumes. Research shows that the air and the soil around the tanneries are so toxic, the
places where grass, trees, flowers, and crops once grew is now replaced by acidic foam.

15
Although regulations have been put in place to stop pollution since 1986, tanneries
continue to use toxic chemicals. Sadly, animal leather pollution does not stop there.

2. The killing animals

Since most leather is a by-product of the meat industry, we must take into account this
aspect as well. Raising animals to brutally slaughter and use their skin for fashion
presents serious ecological and ethical issues.

3. Consumption of resources

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, the meat industry
alone uses roughly about 30 per cent of the world’s ice-free land to support the
production of cattle. It also uses one-third of the world’s fresh water, and accounts for
nearly one-fifth of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

In comparison, mushroom leather does not require harmful chemicals, water, or energy
expenditure.

4. Ability to recycle and reuse

Moreover, mushroom leather and its substrate can be reused again and again, as post-
consumer waste. However, besides resources depletion, recycling and pollution, there
are other factors to consider when choosing between these two products.

5. Time to manufacture

For once, the time difference that it takes to make these products is enormous! It takes
three years to raise a cattle to a decent size that would allow the grower to get one piece
of usable leather. Three Years! On the other hand, as mushrooms grow at an
exponential rate, it takes only a couple of weeks for the fungi to consume its substrate
completely and to turn it into a leather-like alternative. Instead of waiting for the
material, you, have to keep up with it!

16
6. Manufacturing flexibility

Another significant factor in the advantage of mushroom leather is its superb

manufacturing flexibility. You can turn its surface look into any shape, size, or animal
skin you can think of.

You can create different patterns, colours, and textures that regular leather would never
be able to let you do.

“Fungi are very sensitive and will change their growth in relationship to how they’re
being poked, moved, and so on. For example, if you put it in a cup, it would take the
shape of the cup,” says Ross.

7. Level of quality

Another subject often debated is the quality and resistance of mushroom leather. The
fragile look of mycelium might make you think that this leather can break apart like a
piece of paper. However, there’s nothing to worry about the material ripping apart
because several tests have shown the material to be as strong as deerskin!

8. Cost to make

Finally, the last comparable factor is its price. Right now, mushroom leather costs about
the same as high-end animal leather. The price remains quite high because the amount
produced remains low.

However, companies mentioned above are already working to produce higher volumes
and predict a drop in the manufacturing cost of mushroom leather to just $5 a square
foot. $5 per square foot is cheap than any type of leather anywhere in the world.
Moreover, a lower price than animal leather is key to making mushroom leather
succeed in the future.

17
 OPPORTUNITIES:

o Growth rate of Domestic Textile Industry is 6-8% per

annum.
 Large, Potential Domestic and International
Market.
o Product development and Diversification to provide global needs.
o Exclusion of Quota Restriction leads to greater Market Development.

 Market is gradually shifting towards Branded Readymade Garment.


 Increased not reusable Income and Purchasing Power of Indian Customer
open New Market Development.

 Emerging Retail Industry and Malls provide huge opportunities for the
clothes, handiwork and other segments of the industry.

 Greater Investment and FDI opportunities are available.

18
 CHAPTER 8

TESTING AND QUALITY CONTROL

Textile Testing & Quality Control (TTQC) is very important work or process in each
department of export oriented industry. Buyers want quality but not quantity. In every
department of textile industry quality maintained of each material. Because one material’s
quality depend on another’s quality. For example, if qualified fiber is inputted then output
will be good yarn.

What is textile testing?

Textile testing is checking the quality and suitability of raw material and selection of
material. It is an important part for textile production, distribution, and consumption. Though
it is an expensive business but essential too. There are some reasons for textile testing; such
as, checking raw materials, monitoring production, assessing the Final Product, investigation
of faulty material, product development and research.

What is quality control?

Quality controls is a process by which entities review the quality of all products in an
industry. It refers to ways of ensuring the quality of a service or product. Actually quality
control is a system for verifying and maintaining a desired level of quality in an existing
product or service by careful planning, use of proper equipment, continued inspection, and
corrective action as required.

19
  Objects of Quality Control: To produce required quality product.

 To fulfill the customer’s demand.

 To reduce the production cost.

 To reduce wastage.

 To earn maximum profit at minimum cost.

Quality Control in Garment Manufacturing Process

Quality is a relative term. It means customer needs is to be satisfied. Quality is of prime
importance in any aspect of business. Customers demand and expect value for money. As
producers of apparel there must be a constant endeavor to produce work of good quality. In
previous article, I discuss about quality control system in garment industry. Now I will give a
short description of Quality Control in Garment Manufacturing Process.

20
 CHAPTER 9

RISK ASSESSMENT AND FEASIBILITIES STUDY

• Design for circular supplies: The mycelium can be reused from disposed
products and recycled to get back into the production process without any
significant environmental impact.
• Design for resource conservation: The case material has the opportunity
to stand out in designing the vegan leather product with the fungi as a source
that truly uses a minimum of natural resources with low environmental impact
in growing stage and afterlife (Bolt Threads 2020).
• Design for multiple cycles: Since the case material is relatively new and
not tested in full scale in retail, the aim of longer circulation of the material is
yet to be tested.
• Design for long life use of products: Referring to above, it's currently
unknown how long the material will last. However, if the goal is to maximise
the sustainability feature of the product, extending its life time as much as
possible must be the way forward. The design should make services for re-use,
maintenance and repair more accessible. This could establish a long-lasting
relationship between the customer and the product.
• Design for systems change: the use of mycelium in order to produce leather
like material is a truly innovative solution and an example of system change in
the area of sustainable production processes.

21
 TARGETED POPULATION

It will promote women empowerment

Helps to raise SELF HELP GROUPS (SHG)

o Painters: As we are planning to involve hand printers to the business to

show their talent more wisely.

o Textile Industry: As our project is to make fabrics so our main focus is

to spread our business in textile sectors, which will help the existing
business to reduce their purchasing cost of raw materials and to
increase their profits.

o Fashion Industry: Afterwards, we will tie up with fashion industries to

spread our business, as we all know that fashion industry is the very
influencing industry no matter what century it is.

22
 CHAPTER – 10
FINDINGS (DISCUSSION)

This paper has presented insights concerning the visual appearance and materials
experience of mycelium-based materials, with the aim of assisting designers create
mycelium-based products that are more accepted by a broader market. The project was
based on a previous material-sample that received substantial negative reactions during
user studies. The participants were repulsed and very hesitant to touch and/or smell the
material-sample. The look of the material also drove associations to mold and dirt.
Similar negative reactions were also recorded during other case studies involving
mycelium materials. This negative reaction could potentially hinder the adoption of
mycelium as a material in future applications, which is unfortunate because of the
contribution mycelium could make in creating more sustainable options in material
selection for product designers. The project ultimately became a exploration into the
visual appearance of mycelium and how to counteract the negative associations the
material garnered through surface treatments. The project showed that the addition of
certain surface treatments significantly enhanced the emotions and associations the
material10%elicits compared to the previous
20%

material. Introducing color to the surface of the material and masking the natural off-white
color of the mycelium garnered substantially more pleasant emotions compared to
70%

untouched samples. The natural mycelium texture combined with color also changed
the perception of the material from something strange and off-putting to something
unique and interesting. Ultimately, I believe that this shows that there is potential in
mycelium-composites as a widely accepted material and that further explorations into
mycelium and its applications would be appropriate. Although this project showed
interesting potential in how surface treatments and manifestation of mycelium-
composites, further explorations would be required to determine the validity of the
results garnered in this project.
This project has many restrictions in terms of the quality and size of the material
samples as well as volume and range of the participants involved. To get more accurate
and nuanced insights a wider scope of participants with varied cultural and social
backgrounds would be needed to further explore the experiential experiences the

23
material elicits. Prototypes would also be needed to further evaluate the results garnered
from the material experience patterns.

How it will be beneficial to involve Self-Help Groups (SHG) or Women to this

project?
o An economically poor individual gains strength as part of a group.
 Besides, financing through SHGs transaction costs for both
lenders and borrowers.
 Where successful, SHGs have significantly empowered
poor people, especially women, in rural areas.
 SHGs have helped immensely in reducing the influence
of informal lenders in rural areas.
 Many big corporate houses are also promoting SHGs at many
places in India.
SHGs help borrowers overcome the problem of lack of collateral. Women can discuss
their problem and find solutions for it.

24
 CHAPTER – 12
RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the findings and results of this study, it is recommended that:

Government would support our efforts in biodegradable fabrics to achieve
better performance and exert more efforts in making fabrics sustainable
and biodegradable.
Necessity to corporation and coordination among the various actors,
government, private sector, informal sector, NGOs the industry to create
job opportunities for the limited group of peoples such as women and Self-
Help Groups (SHG) to participate in biodegradable fabrics.
Promote sustainable clothes through adoption of good practices in
collection and selection of the appropriate methods.
Designing community PET recycling collection program greatly increase
the quantity and quality of collection and reduce the overall production
cost. Best practices should be followed:
To established an effective and ongoing consumer education program.

Initiate regional and international knowledge transfer from countries with

successful practices in mycelium.
Promote and encourage current and new investments in mushroom fabrics
by offering subsidies.
Promote and encourage current and new investments in production of
mushroom fabric.
Review on the existing laws and policies on mushroom fabric with
particular to eco friendly fabric’s rising consumption to address the
problem of non biodegradable clothes.

25
 CHAPTER – 13
CONCLUSION

The purpose of this study has been to create a fictitious value chain for an innovative
product by highlighting the unique characteristics where the material links with its
investors and to find out what a fictitious value chain could look like. To create a richer
and deeper knowledge within the management sector, more complex models that
describe and support the different stages in the value and supply chain could have been
investigated. The awareness of researching a product that is still in an early stage can
disrupt the end conclusion, limitations that have affected the study are company secrets
and knowledge about the future for the end stages of this specific material. After having
studied, analyzed and created a fictitious value chain for a material still in its
developing process, we saw unique features of the fictitious value chain in which there
were prominent interactions between the case company, the case material and the
investing companies. We saw these interactions in the marketing, distribution and pre-
production process steps.

The problems identified in the fictitious value chain were the different risks and the
uncertain future for the material that has yet to be introduced into the market. The risks
of losing one of the few high-stake investors and partners could have consequences on
the value chain, such as the loss of financial support in the continuation in the
development of the material and company. An additional problem with the value chain
can be the lifecycle of the material, if it’s durable for long term use and how it can be a
part of a circular economy. The possible pre production malfunctions, such as the
climate for growing the mycelium could affect the quality of the product and the further
steps.
However, the strengths that have been identified in the fictitious value chain are the
great opportunities to further improve and develop the material. The case company is
thriving with the change in the fashion culture in terms of having a consumer base that
is more aware of the sustainable changes and the effects that the clothing industry has.
Along with this change in 46the industry they have a chance to get more investors and
partners for a continuation of the development of the material. Another strength
identified in the fictitious value chain was the relationship between company and

26
investors. Having a strong relationship between company and investors is beneficial for
all parts involved. This can be used when marketing together with the powerful partner
companies already well established in the industry and where both parts can benefit
from a new innovative material.
The case material has a leather feel to it, however it does not possess any petroleum
substance which is normally the case when it comes to synthetic leather material.
Because the case material is made of fungi it is not made out of animals which makes it
100% vegan. The conclusion of this case material is that it does not harm animal
welfare, nor any negative impact on the environment.

27
 REFERENCES

https://mylo-unleather.com/

https://www.whosampled.com/Mylo/

https://boltthreads.com/technology/mylo/

https://cfda.com/resources/materials

https://textilevaluechain.in/in-depth-analysis/articles/textile-articles/rooted-in-
nature-mylo-mushroom-leather/

https://www.innovationintextiles.com/boosting-the-production-of-mylo-mycelium/

https://www.textiletoday.com.bd/mylo-sustainable-leather/

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1c3TvzVS2I2vDbaIwMPvskw5tBJXZ7zEp_eZyUfJe
fx4/edit

28
 QUESTIONNAIRE

Name
………………………………………..

Email
…………………………………………………..

Age
~ Above 18
~ Above 30
~ Above40
~ Above60

Gender
~ Male
~ Female
~ Prefer not to say

Occupation
~ Student
~ Business Man
~ Professional
~ Other

Monthly Income
~ 1,000-10,000
~ 10,000-20,000
~ 20,000-30,000
~ Above 30,000

29
1. Fashion is not about looking beautiful, its about making are planet beautiful.

i. Strongly agree

ii. Agree

iii. Neutral

iv. Disagree

v. Strongly Disagree

2. How often do you shop?

i. Weekly

ii. Every few weeks

iii. Monthly

iv. Every few months

v. Yearly

3. Which fabric you pefer the most?

i. Leather

ii. Cotton

iii. Silk

iv. Other

30
4. Which fabric would you like to see in market,excluding the popular item such
as Cotton, Denim ,woal,Khadi,Polyster ?

………………………………………..

5. Synthetic fabric are harmful for flora and fauna.

i. Strongly agree

ii. Agree

iii. Neutral

iv. Disagree

v. Strongly disagree

6. Which factor play inportant role while purchasing clothes

i. Price

ii. Quality

iii. Avalability

iv. Comfort

v. Brand

7. Are you satisfied with Synthetic Fabrics ?

i. Yes

ii. Maybe

iii. No

31
8. Is it right , to hunt animals for fabrics?
i. Yes
ii. Maybe

iii. No

9. What is the main disadvantage of synthetic fabric

i. Catches fire easily

ii. Not absorb sweat

iii. Non-biodegradable

iv. All of the above

10. Would you prefer natural fabric over synthetic fabric

i. Yes
ii. Maybe

iii. No

11. Roughly, how much you spend on fabrics?

i. Below1,000

ii. 1000-5000

iii. 5000-10000

iv. Above 10000

32
12. Have you heared about eco friendly fabrics?

i. Yes

ii. Maybe

iii. No

13. where have you heard about it?

i. Social media

ii. Newspaper

iii. Advertisement

iv. Other

Kindly share your suggestion ………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………………….

…………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

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34