Bio-Vogue: Shrimp and mushroom waste hit the NY Fashion Week runway

In New York, designer Peter Do included clothing made from shrimp and mushroom waste in his Spring Summer 2023 collection’s Fashion Week debut.  

The material—sourced from TômTex—was used in “glossy wide-leg trousers and rounded-neck tank tops, with one look featuring camel hues and the other a black finish,” according to design publication dezeen. 

TômTex’s material is non-woven, 100% biodegradable, and resembles leather in look and feel. “We have made significant strides in the last year improving the mechanical behavior, aesthetic properties, and salability of the material,” TômTex’s founder Uyen Tran, who once worked for Do, tells dezeen. “For instance, by subtly tweaking our material formulation, we have been able to more than triple its absolute breaking strength, all without adding any plastics – in fact, nothing derived from a fossil source whatsoever: 100 % bio-based. Similarly, we’ve changed our process and formula to improve the hand feel of the material, adding softness and silkiness, and can even make suede-like textures.”

TômTex is currently working to scale production at its Brooklyn Navy Yard facility.