ECOPOLITAN
Xristina Sarli and FADE OUT Label for Rare shop “Why mushroom leather, and why mushroom leather combined with denim? For the past three years, my research has been rooted in a hybrid practice, blending art, science, technology, and nature within the communitydriven, DIY, DIWO, DITO bio-hacker and morethan-human ethos of Toplab (DIY Biolab and transdisciplinary community in Berlin).Central to our exploration are polypore mushrooms, renowned for their remarkable capacity to serve as sustainable, future-oriented materials—from eco-friendly replacements for polystyrene packaging to innovative textiles like mushroom leather. www.top-ev.de/about/ My fascination with mushroom leather specifically emerged through my deeper interest in mycoremediation—using fungi to decompose waste, particularly textile waste. Denim published research stood out immediately as an impactful choice, given the profound environmental burden posed by fashion waste. Mushrooms not only have the potential to address this issue sustainably but also symbolize transformative solutions, literally breaking down waste into something new and valuable.
practice of the artists involved. Our concept became clear: take denim scraps too small for conventional reuse—scraps that a designer like Andy would struggle to integrate— and use them as a substrate for growing mushroom leather. The mycelium’s inherent binding properties allowed the random denim pieces to fuse naturally, eliminating the need for traditional sewing methods and truly embodying a zero-waste ethos. Beyond sustainability, our collaboration aimed to shift societal perspectives regarding material durability and longevity. Mushroom leather garments inherently differ from mass-produced clothing—they have a unique character, a narrative woven into their textures. Responding to the common queries about durability, we emphasized these pieces as wearable art, inviting wearers into a different relationship with their garments, reflecting Fade Out Label’s ethos: “you are what you wear.” To deepen the experience and underline this narrative, I developed an augmented reality application allowing users to scan the garment’s unique mycelium patterns. This digital layer revealed multimedia content about the production process, encouraging creativity, imagination, and a deeper connection to nature. The project thus becomes an active invitation for people to reimagine the intersection of art, sustainability, and technology.
This vision directly linked to the work of Andy (Fade Out Label), whose commitment to zerowaste design and upcycling I deeply admired. I saw our collaboration as an opportunity to integrate sustainable materials into the artist’s practice itself, addressing sustainability not only in materials but also in the livelihood and
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The Role of RARE Berlin Being welcome to the collective space at RARE Berlin was essential to this project. For me, the most meaningful part was working among other creators who are equally committed to sustainable materials. The collective’s ethos deeply resonated with the narrative we foster at