Could plant-based fur be as good as the real deal?
Spotted: While statistics illustrate that a majority of US consumers still consider it morally acceptable to wear fur, there has been a notable shift away from its use in the fashion industry. Prada, Phillip Lim, Macy’s, Chanel, Burberry, and Net-a-Porter Group have all removed real animal fur from production and sales floors.
Today, vegan alternatives are available, but many fur substitutes are made from petroleum-based synthetic fibres, which are unsustainable, even if they are animal-free. Now, New York and Paris-based bio-materials startup, BioFluff has pioneered a luxury collection based around its plant-based alternative to fur.
The collection, dubbed Savian, featured artificial fur crafted from natural plant fibres using proprietary methods. The line includes fur, shearling, and fleece-like fabrics that are vegan, GMO-free, and incorporate natural- and mineral-based dyes. The materials both look and feel natural.
Savian is the first materials brand created by BioFluff, which recently secured $2.5 million (around €2.3 million) in a seed round led by Astanor Ventures, a leading name in agrifood tech impact investing. This follows a 2022 pre-seed round that raised $500,000 (around €457,000). The company aims to expand into developing plant-based interior designs, packaging, and even toys.
Plant-based materials are slowly replacing petroleum-based products in many areas. Recent innovations spotted by Springwise include clothing made from seaweed and all-natural sneakers.
Written By: Lisa Magloff
Envisaged as a boat traversing China’s Yellow River, this remarkable performing arts venue resembles a vast ship anchored amid the urban sprawl of Zhengzhou. A series of dramatic metal sails define the exterior; however, the structure’s imposing scale is softened by its receptiveness to the surrounding landscape. Angular glass openings create a rapport between the building and the street outside. After nightfall, the sails illuminate and the interior glows, beckoning passers-by into its theatrical world.
Originally an underground convention hall, this concrete structure has been transformed into a contemporary concert hall in the picturesque Swiss Alps. The ceiling of the subterranean space was raised to amplify the venue’s acoustics and increase its capacity. From the origami-inspired timber cladding to the inclined balconies and suspended sound reflectors, the interior topography has been carefully orchestrated to create an enveloping space where sound rises and falls around the audience like a wave.
The site of sporting venues since 1919, this state-of-the-art track and field stadium has a hallowed history. The newest iteration of this legacy was inspired by the energy of competing athletes. The asymmetric oval frame of the stadium dips and rises in height as though it’s in motion — a considered decision that increases the density of seats near the finishing line. Meanwhile, a canopy of wooden ribs covered in a translucent skin allows daylight to permeate the stands, shielding the heart of the stadium, the spectators, from the elements.
This experimental venue is situated in a medieval town in western Austria. It was designed as a fluid space, capable of hosting everything from conventions and balls, to theater, pop concerts and classical performances. While its architectural form is strikingly contemporary, the structure doesn’t stand in conflict with its historic surroundings. Instead, traditional regional materials have been reimagined in a modern lexicon, creating a continuity between old and new.
Embedded within an urban park, this extraordinary sports complex in Quzhou was devised to blur into the rolling topography. Six hills, a lake and sunken gardens sit in harmony with the structure, which is nestled within a crater-like recess in the ground. The entrances to the stadium appear as apertures in the earth, oversized burrows of sorts. From a distance, the only tell-tale sign of the arena’s presence is the translucent halo of the roof, which seemingly floats above the landscape like a cloud.
Combining sports with sustainability, the ground-breaking basketball stadium of the LA Clippers is striving to become the world’s first carbon-neutral arena. Harnessing Southern California’s sunny climate, the stadium, which is currently under construction, will be enveloped by a gridshell crowned with a solar array. The building will run entirely off electricity derived from the sun, while its solar battery storage system will have enough capacity to power a basketball game or concert. Coupled with natural ventilation and initiatives to eradicate landfill waste and improve local air quality, the arena will have an overwhelmingly positive impact on the region.
This community development in Florida was designed as a cultural micro-village amongst the tropical terrain. Encompassing the northwest corner of Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, the complex comprises three pavilions that house a two-story library, an events center and a welcome portico, as well as a number of outdoor socializing areas. The scheme’s radical design articulates its core principles of empowerment, education and unity with the natural world.
