Anastasia Oganova-Jais for Tocco Earth: The Reality of Next-Generation Materials in Fashion

In an interview with Tocco Earth, Anastasia Oganova-Jais, founder of Substanz Team, discusses the rapidly evolving world of next-generation materials and bio-based materials for fashion — and the practical challenges of turning material innovation into commercially viable products.

Drawing on her experience working between material science, fashion design, sourcing and product development, Anastasia explores what happens when innovative materials leave the laboratory and enter the realities of fashion production.

From material quality and consistency to production capacity, supply chain reliability and cost, the successful adoption of new materials depends on much more than their technical or environmental credentials. For fashion brands, the material must also meet aesthetic expectations, perform in its intended application and work within existing manufacturing processes.

The interview looks particularly at the development of leather alternatives and next-generation materials, including the growing range of plant-based, mushroom-based and other bio-based materials entering the fashion market.

While environmental considerations are an important driver of material innovation, aesthetics remain fundamental to fashion. Consumers ultimately choose products based on how they look, feel and perform — making design, material quality and commercial viability inseparable from the discussion around more responsible materials.

Anastasia argues that the next stage of material innovation is therefore not simply about developing new materials, but about connecting material innovation with real-world applications: selecting the right material for the right product, adapting designs to material properties, building reliable supply chains and developing production solutions that can work at commercial scale.

For Substanz, this is precisely where its work sits — bridging the gap between emerging material technologies and fashion production. The company helps brands, designers and material R&D companies navigate material selection, sourcing, prototyping and manufacturing, helping innovative materials move from development into tangible products.

“The future of material innovation is not only about what a material is made from, but about whether it can actually work in a product, at the required quality, cost and scale.”

Read the full interview

Read the full interview with Anastasia Oganova-Jais on Tocco Earth →

Topics: Next-generation materials · Bio-based materials · Leather alternatives · Sustainable fashion materials · Material innovation · Fashion design · Product development · Material sourcing · Fashion manufacturing