Inside the trend – mushrooms

13th March 2023

Have you been seeing mushrooms everywhere? Not necessarily in the places you’d expect to see mushrooms, but on your Instagram feed or popping up in home décor trends.

We’ve been receiving lots of queries from curious customers looking for mushroom-themed books too, so we wanted to investigate what this trend is all about and highlight some of the books to complement it.

Selection of books on a rustic table surrounded by a variety of mushrooms.

What’s it all about?

Mushrooms are having a moment, and not just in the culinary world. Fashionistas are embracing mushroom motifs on their clothes, accessories and as part of their home décor. But this is more than a fashion trend. Experts are highlighting the power of fungi as a sustainable solution for better diets, improved wellbeing, alternative fabric sources, and much more.

Why now?

Living through a period of grave environmental change, mushrooms represent the connection to the natural world that many of us are seeking. Eating, cooking and foraging for mushrooms can help us achieve that.

Beyond the symbolism, mushrooms also unlock potential solutions for sustainable living. Recent research has unleashed the potential for mycelium, the network of thread-like branches that grow between mushrooms and fungi. These fibres are creating opportunities for sustainable alternatives to more harmful materials used in anything, from packaging to construction.

But this obsession could just as easily be driven by something more flippant. Fashion is returning to the era of 1960s and 70s psychedelia, and the catwalk has been obsessed with shroom-inspired motifs for several seasons now. But whatever is driving it, the mushrooms trend is likely to be hanging around for a while.

How can I incorporate it into my ranges?

This trend is hugely versatile as it cuts through many aspects of life. If you’re already embracing the trend for 70s décor, mushrooms will fit right in and a book like The Little Book of Mushrooms by Felicity Hart will provide a simple design accent. For food and drink ranges, making sure mushroom-themed cookbooks are included is a bit of no-brainer. And if nature and science books sell well for you, look out for books that take a deep dive into the power of mushrooms. Fans of foraging will enjoy picking up books on all things ‘shroom too.