Fashion brands are on a constant quest for newness, including scoping out emerging materials. But they also have a crucial role to play in supporting and bringing material innovations to market.

Taking new fibers and materials from prototype to consumer product takes significant funds and time, but it also requires collaboration. During a panel at Kingpins New York, moderated by Tricia Carey, who was formerly at circular pulp producer Circulose (née Renewcell), executives working in material development and manufacturing shared their challenges and how the supply chain should step up to scale technologies.

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“It’s always going to be a slow road,” said Billy McCall, CEO and co-founder of Kintra Fibers. “Anything in the material space just takes time. I mean, look at even polyester, which is the most mass-produced fiber out there, and it took a while to get to where it is today.”

On the panel was Ecovative, which is using mycelium—the root structure of fungi—to grow foam and leather alternatives. While it serves other industries—with products including meat alternatives and packaging solutions—Ecovative’s attentions have recently been focused on fashion. The company received a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2012 to create plastic-free foam for shoes. Following further investments, the Forager foam and leather alternatives were commercialized in 2022, and now the company has partnerships with about a dozen brands, with capsule collections expected to hit the market later this year or in 2025.

At Kingpins, Ecovative showcased its collaboration with manufacturer AGI Denim to create padded denim garments using its foam. Working with manufacturers, including tanneries, is a key piece in supporting brands’ product development. “We can’t just show up with a material and go, ‘Here, please use this and make it happen.’ We’ve really put in that back-end work to make sure everyone gets success,” said Lacey Davidson, director of marketing communications for Ecovative.

Brooklyn-based Kintra Fibers has developed a bio-based, compostable polyester. The company—founded in 2018—has attracted investment from brands like Bestseller. Having early integrations with brands has been a benefit, with Kintra’s McCall noting that it is now scaling up to larger batches of fiber, with the intent to create 30 to 50 tons of yarn in the first quarter of 2025. Laying the groundwork for an eventual plant and capsule collections, Kintra Fibers is partnering with mills. And later this year, it will create a few hundred meters of knit fabric. “In the early stages of developing a material, you burn through a lot of capital just figuring out what formulation works, where to make this stuff, suppliers that you trust,” said McCall. He explained that Kintra has focused on one product type to streamline its production and iterations.