Stella McCartney embraces the power of fungi

The documentary Fantastic Fungi, released by the Netflix platform, has caused a stir and inspired one of the most famous green-stylists, the eclectic Stella McCartney. She drew her inspiration from the potential of these plants to imagine the very first luxury bag made from mycelium. An innovative vegan material that is an ideal alternative to animal leather. The Frayme Mylo bag, inspired by one of the brand's flagship pieces - the Falabella bag - will be available internationally in a limited edition of 100 pieces from the 1st of July. To celebrate the event, Stella McCartney is launching a web-based cooking series around the fungi to showcase its 360-degree appeal to the fashion, culinary and health worlds.

Several celebrities are taking part in the series, including Stella's sister Mary, the eldest daughter of former Beatle Paul, writer, photographer and animal rights activist. She offers a gourmet recipe for crispy mushrooms. The series also recently welcomed Michelin-starred chef Raymond Blanc, who heads the kitchen at the historic Belmond Le Manoir luxury hotel in Oxfordshire. Raymond Blanc, like the designer, is a big fan of the almost limitless nutritional potential of fungi. Also featured is the charismatic New York chef and activist Sophia Roe, and Japanese vegan recipe creator and online star Yoko Koike.

In addition to the web, Stella McCartney is launching initiatives to spread the word about the secrets and benefits of mushrooms by organising several events and meetings in its shops around the world. A month ago, a debate was held in one of the Paris boutiques between Sofiia Manousha, founder of My Beauty Fuel Food, and Simon and Andrew Salter, founders of DIRTEA, a British start-up specialising in fungi extract powders.