From wildflower down to pineapple leather: These are the sustainable materials to wear in 2022

That fashion is one of the most environmentally-unfriendly businesses on our planet is in little doubt. But from designer labels to fast-fashion brands, the industry is finally, slowly exploring more alternative materials to lower its carbon footprint and combat waste - with some extraordinary results.

Plant-based, cruelty free and low impact, these are fabrics of the future.

An innovative vegan biomaterial partly made from the by-products of winemaking, wine leather is being pioneered by Italian company Vegea. Grape skin and seed fibres are repurposed to make ‘leather’ which is 100 per cent vegan and can be recycled. What’s more, the production process consumes hardly any water – a big environmental bonus.

Related: These Ganni shoes are made from grapes

Founded in Milan in 2016, Vegea has since received awards for its contribution to the fashion industry and is also attracting some major clients. Pangaia recently launched a pair of sneakers made using wine leather - designed with a breathable lining and a comfortable, flexible natural rubber sole - and H&M uses the product in its boots. Recently, & Other Stories have also started making wine leather sandals and in October, Ganni announced a line of grape-made shoes as well.

Mylo is a sustainable textile derived from mushrooms. Mycelium cells are grown on beds of sawdust and other organic materials to form an interconnected, 3D network which is processed, tanned and dyed to make the material. It's been used by designers worldwide, with Stella McCartney, keying, Adidas and Luluemon all having invested in Mylo's development.

Stella McCartney says Mylo is part of the brand's "commitment [...] to innovate a kinder fashion industry" through its partnership with sustainable materials company Bolt Threads, and has been working with the material since 2017 when the label unveiled the iconic Falabella bag.

FLWRDWNTM is an alternative to animal down made using wildflowers. While launching their recent Co-Exist Story campaign, the Swedish-born global chain H&M revealed a range of genderless puffers using this new fabric. The collection is approved by the animal rights organisation PETA, prompting H&M's senior designer Malin Dubois to state that, "We’re proud to be able to unite two passions: versatile, fashion-forward design with more sustainable PETA-approved alternatives to animal-derived materials.”

Related: This Vogue editor wore only archive H&M for a week, and this is what happened

This year, the Karl Lagerfeld label launched a vegan, cactus leather bag in collaboration with supermodel and sustainability ambassador Amber Valleta. The bags are made of an innovative material pioneered by Deserto that’s breathable, flexible, non-toxic and partly biodegradable, created from prickly pear cacti grown on an organic farm in Mexico.

Karl Lagerfeld isn't the only label looking to cacti for their designs. The Swedish brand Deadwood are creating part of their collection of jackets in Deserto's cactus leather too.

Related: This 'ballet' was inspired by a new sustainable material called Circulose

Pineapple leather, also know as Piñatex, is one of the best-known fruit-based vegan leathers on the market. An innovative natural textile made from pineapple leaf fibres, Piñatex uses the by-products of existing agriculture to help reduce waste and create an additional income stream for farming communities. The material was developed by Carmen Hijosa, who has been working on creating an alternative to leather since the 1990s.

Related: Video: Head to Pöytyä where sheep, grannies and beanies are changing the game

Today, Piñatex is used by Hugo Boss, Nae Vegan and H&M. The brand's latest partner is Nike, who this summer launched a special pineapple collection including the iconic Air Force 1.