The Shroom Boom
As the trend cycle has pushed fashion back into the 1970’s, it should come as no surprise that fashion is not the only aspect of life reverting back to this free-spirited mentality. With the 70’s of course come psychedelics, but this time around we’re experiencing a different kind of “shroom boom.” Alongside the fashion and lifestyle trends of the 70’s, cottage core is on the rise as well, and mushrooms are becoming a pop-culture icon, but are they more than just garden accessories?
This week, I sat down with Frank Hyman, author of “How to Forage for Mushrooms without Dying: An Absolute Beginner Guide to Identifying 29 Wild, Edible Mushrooms” to find out more about these incredible organisms.
If you read the July issue of Vogue, you probably took notice of their story about the latest skincare craze, mushroom. As they are adaptogens, mushrooms are fantastic for anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and an overall even complexion. A popular mushroom found in skincare is reishi, often referred to as the “mushroom of immortality.” It has been used in traditional eastern medicine for thousands of years due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Reishi can be found in products like Dr. Andrew Weil for Origin’s Mega-Mushroom collection, the Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream from Youth to the People, and even in more affordably priced “drugstore” products like Versed Skincare. While Hyman admitted that he was no skincare expert, he told me that even foraging for your own mushrooms has skincare and other health benefits. It’s a great way to get vitamin D, something he believes the entire country has developed a deficiency in thanks to not only technology but also the pandemic.
While the powers of mushrooms have only recently become popular in America, Hyman told me how different the attitude toward mushrooms is in other cultures around the world. What he calls “Anglo-phonic-microphobia” is the idea that English speaking countries have a great anxiety about wild mushrooms, because there are varieties which can be deadly to humans. Thanks to manifest destiny, the superiority complex of western civilization would have rather skipped out on mushrooms completely than risk biting into one that could’ve killed them. Finally, we are learning that the pros far outweigh the cons of mushrooms, and that it’s also not rocket science to learn to avoid the deadly varieties. Mushroommountain.com is a great resource for those wanting to learn more about mushrooms. They offer high quality mushroom spawn, fruiting kits, and numerous books, workshops, and other informative resources for those who yearn to become closer to the natural world through mushrooms.
“If we were in France, Italy, South America, or China visiting a family, their eight-year-old son or daughter could take you out in the back yard and tell you which ones (mushrooms) they eat and don’t eat. It’s really not hard to learn 10 or 20 edible and medicinal mushrooms, you don’t have to be a mycologist.”
The more I learned, the more curious I became, and I began to wonder if Hyman believed there was a place for mushrooms in the future of fashion. He was eager to tell me that a number of mushrooms are already being used in design and fashion. Mushrooms come in a variety of colors and offer up a seemingly endless number of color-hues, making them perfect to dye any fabric with.
In April, Hermès announced they would be releasing a bag made from mushrooms. Trading their tradition high quality leather for a more sustainable option, I can only imagine other brands will follow in their footsteps to reduce their carbon footprints. They partnered with MycoWorks, a California based brand working to replace “fine leather” with the more sustainable “fine mycelium.”
If you’re more interested in consuming them rather than lathering them on your face or carrying them around in bag form, Hyman suggested chaga or shiitake mushrooms. While most medicinal mushrooms have a bitter taste, he explained that chaga, which contains anticancer and immune-boosting qualities, has an almost sweet, chocolatey taste. If you drink coffee, he recommended to mix some chaga powder with your coffee grounds when brewing to give yourself an extra immune and energy boost every morning.
The shroom boom is proving to do more than simply bring back psychedelic memories and amazing stories of your parents or grandparents. Mushrooms are one of the most versatile organisms on the planet, and it’s obvious that their benefits outweigh the risks. Whether you’ve been interested forever or are a victim of anglo-phonic-microphobia, its time to ride the wave of the shroom, be it through skincare, a new designer bag, or just in your morning cup of coffee. These fungi are here to stay, so we might as well make the most of them.
Article by Katie Harkey, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Tearsheets by Maelle Eugene, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
