Issue #332 | From Shrimp Leather to Synthetic Dye, Are Biomaterials Finally Ready to Scale Up?

From Shrimp Leather to Synthetic Dye, Are Biomaterials Finally Ready to Scale Up?

Leather, more and more these days, isn’t even leather. Biomaterials companies are tipping the cow in favor of non-animal sources like cactus and mushrooms to make “skin” that provides fashion brands with less toxic, environmentally friendly options. Take TômTex, which starts with shrimp shells to make a carbon-neutral plastic that “offers complete aesthetic versatility of its biofabric, allowing color, transparency, and opacity to be shaped according to tastes and requirements in the production process,” reports Fast Company. Leather is what you make it.

Fast Company

Skip the Waiting List for This Coveted Rolex

[Partner] It’s known as one of the hardest Rolexes to get your hands on. And, of late, prices for the GMT-Master II “Pepsi,” nicknamed for its famous soda pop-red-and-blue bezel, have surged due to rumors that it would be discontinued this year (it hasn’t.) Still, wait lists aren’t short, and these things aren’t cheap. But The Premium Time Company, which holds weekly contests to win legendary watches, is gonna give you a really good chance at landing one for pennies on the dollar for what they usually ask. Around $60 enters you to win, and with just 650 tickets being sold, the odds are looking up.

Jump the line.

A New Photo Book Celebrates the Style and Athleticism of America's Black Cowboys

Beyoncé may have cracked the door with her new album, but it’s since been completely blown off the hinges for all to see: Black cowboy culture has been on the other side this entire time. In his new book, Eight Seconds: Black Rodeo Culture, photographer Ivan McClellan visited horse events across the country to capture cowboy culture and all it lassos. The rodeo that opened his eyes was in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, and ever since, he’s been trying to get the starched Wranglers just right, he says. Here, McClellan shares what he found on the road, which is a lot more than a good pair of jeans.

GQ

Is the Steel Sports Watch Era Over? Here’s What the Data Says

You’re not gonna get this kind of attention to detail anywhere else. That might be because nobody’s paying as much of it as Cam Wolf is. Ever a keen eye, he noticed steel sports watches haven’t had much of a showing of late, so he did what literally nobody else wanted to: made a spreadsheet. “I tossed 72 new releases from Watches & Wonders into Excel to see what I could divine from this mass of novelties. What really popped out was the glaring lack of watches made in stainless steel,” says Wolf. This is about as good a spreadsheet as they come, folks.

GQ

• Banana Republic Armond Terry Cardigan – $120

• Buck Mason Parachute Poplin Carry On Pant – $148

• Sendero Provisions Wild Wild Horses Hat – $32

• The Gap White Crew Socks (3-Pack) – $18

• G.H. Bass Larson Lug Weejuns Loafer – $185

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