For much of the past decade, the fashion and accessories sector was captivated by a new generation of plant-derived materials designed to replicate the look and performance of leather. Materials developed from pineapple leaves, cactus pads, mushroom mycelium and bio-engineered fibres were presented as a breakthrough that would finally replace plastic-based leather-look products.
In the last two years, however, that narrative has changed.
Natural Fiber Welding, the company behind MIRUM®, announced that it would wind down operations after failing to achieve long-term commercial viability, despite substantial institutional investment. Around the same period, Ananas Anam — the company behind Piñatex, one of the most widely adopted pineapple-based materials — entered liquidation. Other plant-based material innovators have quietly scaled back, paused production or disappeared from supply chains altogether.
For retailers, this moment has been instructive rather than discouraging.
The challenge was never the use of plants. It was the assumption that complex, highly engineered materials could move seamlessly from innovation to reliable, large-scale retail supply.
Retailers are recalibrating what “sustainable” really means
Australian retailers are now operating in a far more accountable environment. Sustainability claims are scrutinised more closely, and supply disruptions are felt immediately at store level. Buyers are increasingly cautious of materials that depend on experimental processing, narrow sourcing windows or unstable production models.
As a result, the market is shifting away from novelty and toward materials that can demonstrate consistency, transparency and longevity.
This recalibration is not a retreat from sustainability. It is a move toward materials that perform reliably in real retail conditions.
Washable paper: a plant-based leather-look material that works
Washable paper occupies a very different position from the materials that have struggled.
It is plant-based, paper-derived and designed to deliver a leather-look aesthetic without relying on plastic coatings or complex chemical systems. It is lightweight, durable, flexible and well suited to everyday accessories. Most importantly, it is a material that can be produced consistently and supplied at scale.
For customers, washable paper is easy to understand. For retailers, it is easy to stand behind.
This is why James&Co made the deliberate decision to focus on washable paper as a core material, rather than chasing experimental alternatives. It offers the visual appeal customers expect from leather-look products, while supporting a clear transition away from plastic-based materials.
What this means for James&Co retailers
In the current climate, retailers are looking for more than innovation stories. They want materials that allow them to stock sustainably without risking supply gaps, credibility issues or confusing messaging.
Washable paper products offer a rare combination: a modern aesthetic, a straightforward plant-based story, and dependable availability. This makes them suitable across a wide range of retail environments — from pharmacies and gift stores to lifestyle and fashion retailers — without requiring customers to interpret complex material claims.
In a landscape shaped by the winding down of MIRUM® and the liquidation of Piñatex, that reliability matters.
A more mature phase of sustainable materials
The retreat of several high-profile plant-based material innovators marks a turning point. Sustainability is entering a more grounded phase — one defined less by ambition and more by practicality.
James&Co is aligned with that shift.
By focusing on washable paper and other proven plant-based materials, the brand supports retailers who want to offer beautiful, responsible products with confidence — today, and into the future.
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