French furniture company Ligne Roset has announced to procure a significant portion of the production capacity for the luxury biomaterial Reishi™ from biotechnology leader MycoWorks’ new full-scale plant.
For the first time, MycoWorks is able to offer high-volume production capacity of Reishi™ to their luxury clientele after the grand-opening of their 136,000sqft facility in October.
For Ligne Roset, the volumes investment will be used to begin implementing and manufacturing products in Ligne Roset’s collections. The design house will begin to integrate Reishi™ into products soon to be available on the market. This announcement comes after months of testing Reishi™ in Ligne Roset’s product lineup after their top management showed strong interest in MycoWorks technology.
With over 80 protective patents, Fine Mycelium™ engineers mycelium cells during growth to form proprietary, interlocking cellular structures for unparalleled strength and durability. A breakthrough in materials science, supply chain management and biotechnology, Fine Mycelium refers to both MycoWorks’ proprietary process and to a new category of materials used in the fashion, footwear, automotive and decor industries that are exclusive to MycoWorks.
Grown-to-spec, Fine Mycelium™ can be customised for thickness, weight and mechanical properties, allowing for an unprecedented level of control of a natural material. The technology’s flagship product Reishi™, is a biomaterial similar to leather with unparalleled hand-feel, strength and durability yet remains environmentally low-impact.
Dedicated to environmental stewardship in the French business sector, Ligne Roset is entering a new era of sustainable design by reserving high-volumes of MycoWorks’ hallmark luxury material Reishi™. In August, the furniture company announced its plans to incorporate new lower-impact materials like Reishi™ in applications across its products.
Ligne Roset is actively participating in the materials revolution happening among French heritage companies searching for the most responsible avenues to grow their offerings while maintaining exceptional quality. As both Ligne Roset’s and MycoWorks’ cultures are rooted in innovation and craftsmanship, this partnership is a natural fit.
“Taking care to work with top-grade materials that are as good for people and for our environment as possible has been part of the company and family’s ethos for generations,” says Antoine Roset, CEO of Ligne Roset. “Our partnership with MycoWorks furthers our commitment to ethical and sustainable development with the high-end quality we’re known for, leaning into innovation and the opportunity to redefine the legacy of Made in France design.”
For MycoWorks, the partnership with Ligne Roset has enabled the biotechnology company to refine their proprietary technology, Fine Mycelium™, into further applications. Furniture design and interiors represent approximately 10% of the global leather and synthetic leather market.
Fine-tuning Reishi™ to meet the performance standards demanded from high-end upholstery and furniture design has meant holding the luxurious handfeel constant while adjusting for flexibility, strength and durability to maintain the biomaterial’s longevity with wear.
“MycoWorks is ecstatic to join Ligne Roset on its journey to bring innovations to the furniture industry, and to deliver Reishi™ according to Ligne Roset’s commitments to excellence and durability. The opening of our full-scale production facility in Union, SC this past fall will enable us to bring this to fruition and soon allow many the chance to own an incredible feat of innovation: Ligne Roset products made with Reishi™” said SVP of Sales, Fred Martel.