Karachi, Pakistan: AGI Denim has partnered with Ecovative, a leader in mycelium technology, to transform post-consumer waste denim into sustainable architectural and interior design materials. Their first product to be introduced is mycelium bricks made from discarded jeans, which will be unveiled at Kingpins New York on July 17-18, 2024. Visitors to the tradeshow can view the exhibit, "Recycled Denim to Mycelium Constructs," in a section dedicated to innovation called The Boxes. Also on display will be garments incorporating Ecovative made-from-mycelium Forager Foam designed by AGI Denim’s creative agency, The Agency.
Ecovative harnesses mycelium growth to create solid webs, resulting in natural, biodegradable materials for textiles, packaging, and food alternatives. Mycelium are the root-like fibers of fungi that form a web-like structure, often beneath the ground in nature. It supports mushroom growth and nutrient exchange in diverse ecosystems. By selecting the right strain and creating optimal conditions, Ecovative and AGI Denim have developed an innovative process to cultivate mycelium by incorporating recycled post-consumer waste denim fibers into the feed mix. The substrate can be molded into various forms and biologically cemented together through the natural growth of the mycelium.
To connect mycelium materials back to the fashion denim world, The Agency by AGI Denim has designed a collection of padded garments incorporating Ecovative's Forager Foam. This high-performance, open-cell pure mycelium foam is made using the company’s innovative AirMycelium technology. It is breathable, insulating, water-repellant, and naturally fire-resistant.
“I have always had a fascination with fungi and their role as decomposers in nature,” says Henry Wong, AGI Denim’s VP of Product Development & Marketing. “The potential application in solving the large-scale challenges we face as humans is so exciting. We are fortunate for this opportunity to work with such an innovative company like Ecovative to explore how their technologies can inspire the denim world.”
By combining post-consumer denim waste with mycelium technology, AGI Denim presents a future where discarded materials find new life in architectural applications. The denim manufacturer celebrates the organic forms of mycelium as they intertwine with the industrial remnants of denim.
The installation encourages viewers to reimagine the possibilities of denim beyond fashion by presenting the mycelium bricks and garments in a single space. Decorative columns are created by laying the bricks in an ombre pattern, highlighting a range of denim shades resulting from varying amounts of recycled blue jeans.
The goal is to show a scalable approach to sustainability, where the amount of recycled content can be adapted to meet different needs and standards. The higher the waste ratio, the darker the color, allowing the visitors to envision a world where denim not only clothes us but also builds our surroundings
Visitors are invited to experience the display first hand – to touch the products, and explore Ecovative's other offerings like alternative meat, high-performance foams, sustainable packaging, and leather alternatives. Ecovative and AGI Denim representatives will be on-site to answer any questions and share insights about the process.
About AGI Denim: AGI Denim (Artistic Garment Industries) is a leading vertical premium denim manufacturer in Pakistan with a long-standing history dating back to 1993. The company is at the forefront of the industry, committed to minimizing its environmental impact while maximizing social and economic benefits. AGI Denim's innovative culture and commitment to sustainability and social responsibility are reflected in its best-in-class infrastructure, end-to-end LEED Gold certification, and B Corp certification.
