The Next Generation of Leather Alternatives From hides derived from fruit to fabrics grown in labs, there have never been more options for shoppers and retailers alike in search of more sustainable solutions. Author: Bolt Threads' proprietary Mylo, a leather-like material made using mycelium. Photo: Courtesy of Bolt Threads From hides derived from fruit to fabrics grown in labs, there have never been more options for shoppers and retailers alike in search of more sustainable solutions. In 1928, a New York City designer named Irving Schott created the world's first leather motorcycle jacket. Naming it the "Perfecto" (after his favorite cigar), Schott crafted the coat out of horsehide, a rigid, durable material that soon after became fashion's leather of choice. The first Perfectos sold for just $5.50. By the 1950s, the leather jacket was a bona fide clothing mainstay.