JESSICA EVANS
SUSTAINABLE FASHION: JESSICA EVANS AND MAGICAL MUSHROOM COMPANY® TRANSFORM MILLINERY WITH MYCELIUM
SUSTAINABLE BRITISH BIODESIGN
Jessica Evans, a Surrey-based fashion biodesigner, is pioneering sustainable practices in fashion by integrating mycelium into her designs. Inspired by the structural and architectural possibilities of mycelium, Jessica’s work explores biodesign fields like biomimicry, circular design, and bioremediation.
To bring her vision of a mycelium-based fascinator to life, Jessica partnered with Magical Mushroom Company® to scale her prototypes and produce a hat using biofabrication methods. This collaboration highlights the exciting future of organic materials in the fashion industry.
“MYCELIUM IS SOLIDIFYING ITS PLACE AS A FUTURE MATERIAL WITHIN FASHION.”
THE PROBLEM
HOW TO TRANSITION FROM A 2D DESIGN INTO 3D SCULPTURAL HEADWEAR PIECE
The structural nature of mycelium inspired Jessica to explore millinery, where hats often require stiff, shaped, and architectural designs.
While Jessica created small prototypes at home, she lacked the infrastructure to translate her 2D designs into 3D sculptural forms suitable for a fascinator.
Jessica needed a partner with the expertise and tools to scale her vision into reality while maintaining the sustainability goals of her project.
THE SOLUTION
WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR DESIGNER TO BRING JESSICA'S VISION TO LIFE
Jessica collaborated with Magical Mushroom Company® and Mycelium Product Designer Ryan Little to turn her 2D CAD hat designs into a fully realised 3D fascinator.
Using special equipment and 3D printing technology, MMC overcame production challenges, including the size of the hat, by modifying the thermoforming stage of the process.
The fascinator was crafted from mycelium and up-cycled hemp, using MMC’s Mushroom® Packaging technology. This biodegradable material breaks down in soil within 40 days and contributes to bioremediation, meeting Jessica’s goal of creating an environmentally friendly and functional design.
THE RESULT
A MYCELIUM FASCINATOR, THE FIRST UK HAT CREATED WITH MUSHROOM® PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY
Magical Mushroom Company® produced a unique mycelium fascinator in just days, marking the first hat created with Mushroom® Packaging technology in the UK.
This collaboration showcases the potential for mycelium in fashion, demonstrating its scalability, efficiency, and ability to revolutionise sustainable materials.
Jessica’s partnership with MMC has helped position mycelium as a future material within mainstream fashion, advancing the field of biofabrication and inspiring innovation in the industry.
“As a fashion student, I had created small prototypes from mycelium but was never able to fully scale a product. With support from Magical Mushroom Company®, the company enabled my ideas to come to life.
We demonstrated that mycelium is solidifying its place as a future material within fashion.”
Jessica Evans, Biodesigner
