What on earth?
It’s very earthy, actually. We’re talking about mycelium — the roots of mushrooms and other fungi.
Ah, the magic stuff, hippy-dippy San Francisco circa 1965
No, we’re talking peak eco-cred. Stella McCartney has just launched a vegan "leather" made from mycelium.
Very worthy
Actually, she used it for an uber-sexy black bustier. Oh, and mycelium is being used to grow lampshades.
Surely not those pretty ones that are all over Insta with nearly 14,000 posts for #mushroomlamps?
No, mycelium shades are frankly not that pretty. There’s a workshop in Wales (tysyml.com) making them for a shop in Islington called The Home of Sustainable things (thehost.store). They’ve got other lamps made of horse manure.
Are you sure you’re not tripping?
You can check out the shades for yourself at Silo, the zero-waste restaurant in Hackney Wick.
OK, I believe you — how’s it done?
Well, the mycelium goes into a 3D-printed mould with wood waste and binds it together. Five days later, you have a lampshade.
I’ll stick with the influencers and their #mushroomlamps
Ah well, that’s mostly vintage — the prize item is swirly Murano glass from the Seventies, but you’ve missed the thrift shop boat. They’re now fetching £400 to £1,000.
Etsy does repros from Italy for £160, although watch out for customs (thank you, Brexit). But if you’re up for fungal fun, mushroom motifs are, well, mushrooming on homewares. Now here there is a touch of psychedelia.
Cult illustrator Lil Kool has made a neon light, inset, for £860 (limited edition, yellowpop.co.uk). Pillows with mushrooms sprouting from them are gross but their Finnish designer can’t make them quick enough for her Etsy shop, Fungimaa.
So it’s shroom shroom above and below ground.
You could say that, if pushed.
