The mushroom mycelium material was originally thought up by Ecovative, a biomaterials company that sells its products to large companies, like Dell, as a sustainable alternative to styrofoam packaging. Trofe came across a sample of the unconventional material and immediately contacted the company with her ideas about its potential applications in the lighting industry.
“Over the past three years, we’ve really developed a unique and cooperative relationship, connecting through a shared interest in trying to leave the planet better than we found it,” says Trofe.
Trofe describes her studio’s relationship with Ecovative as a “beneficial feedback loop.” She purchases their raw materials and grows her lamp shades inside molds of her own design, using techniques she has perfected over the years.
Mushroom mycelium is essentially the root structure of the fungus—its thin networks of filaments branch out and cling onto organic matter. To provide “food” for the mycelium, Ecovative collects crop waste from farmers. Mycelium is introduced into a mixture of chopped up corn stalks and seed husks, and begins to spread its white fibers and digest it. Once coated in mycelium, the mixture is broken up into particles, which can easily be packed into molds (like Trofe’s lamp shades), and left to grow for a few days until it forms a completely solid structure.
