Elite Traveler Summer 2021

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HERMÈS Luxury fashion house Hermès has developed a mushroom- based version of its leather Victoria bag. Partnering with California-based start-up MycoWorks, it has created an eco-friendly version of the classic travel bag with the start-up’s patented Fine Mycelium, a mushroom-derived textile that is transformed into a leather-like material called Sylvania. The Mycelium sheets are tanned and finished by the same Hermès tanneries in France as the real leather, to replicate its look and feel. Hermès isn’t the first luxury brand to experiment with alternative fabrics to replace leather — brands such as Nanushka and Khaite have used vegan leather in their ready-to-wear collections, and Stella McCartney’s use of vegetarian leather has been part of its ethos since the British designer founded her eponymous brand in 2001. But the jury is still out as to whether the plastic polymers, polyurethane (PU) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), most commonly used to produce faux leather, are better for the environment than the production of leather proper. Which is where vegetable-based materials come in. While the Sylvania bag, set to be released by the end of 2021, will serve as an alternative rather than a replacement to Hermès’s famed leather goods, it’s the first foray into the world of sustainable leather alternatives for the storied house. Will it mark the start of a wider trend in the luxury sphere?

Hermès Victoria bag in mushroom-based Sylvania mycelium leather by MycoWorks, hermes.com

Bottega Veneta leather Cassette bag, $2,100, bottegaveneta.com

Bottega Veneta leather Pouch bag, $3,200, bottegaveneta.com

BOTTEGA VENETA Daniel Lee knows a thing or two about capturing the current spirit of fashion. Having earned his stripes under Phoebe Philo’s tenure at Céline ( with the accent aigu), he rose through the ranks to design director of the brand’s ready-to-wear collections before joining Bottega Veneta as creative director in 2018. His premiere collection for the brand paid homage to the rich history while materializing the zeitgeist of the late 2010s, making the collection — and its accessories in particular — one of the most sought-after in a long time. Soon, editors, influencers and celebrities were (virtually) lining up for a piece of Bottega’s soft, supple leather; everyone from Rosie Huntington-Whitely to Rhianna to Bella Hadid appreciated the powerful allure of the brand’s Pouch bags and Lido mules. Could it have been a frenzied scramble for Lee’s first collection at the fashion house? Perhaps. But then Lee hit it out of the park in subsequent seasons, too. Each piece, whether new or reimagined from an archive design, seems to garner more praise than the next. Intrecciato clutches, stretch mules, almond pumps, cassette bags — you name it. The British designer even managed to make knitted bags one of the most sought-after items from the spring/summer 2021 shows.

Bottega Veneta leather Lido sandals, $1,270, bottegaveneta.com

Photo Coppi Barbieri