APPLE SKINSustainable innovation and a great alternative for animal leather. Apple skin is made with fiber from apple juice production waste. The process is patented by an Italian company – it’s eco-friendly and uses no toxic substances. During the Green Carpet Fashion Awards in 2018 in Milan, its inventor received the Technology and Innovation Award. The fabric is certified by Global Recycled Standard and follows the Reach requirements.
Apple skin is valued primarily for its durability and airiness. The material is waterproof, breathable and partly biodegradable. The natural waste (20-50%) is used to replace the raw material of chemical origin, which reduces emissions and energy consumption throughout the whole production chain.
CACTUS LEATHERCactus leather was invented in 2019 by an extraordinarily creative duo of friends from Mexico. Their brainchild was an answer to a crisis related to the increasing plastic pollution. Cactus grows abundantly in Mexico and its presence regenerates the soil and, at the same time, does not require big amounts of water. Cactus cultivation is especially beneficial to the environment as it absorbs carbon dioxide.
The leather is distinguished by its high softness, resistance to moisture and cuts. It ensures incredible performance in a wide range of applications. It meets even the strictest of ecological standards and is partly biodegradable. It is also made without the use of toxic substances, phthalates and PVC. It is USDA certified as a product made in at least 61% of bio-ingredients.
GRAPE LEATHERGrape leather, also called “wine leather”, is an innovative material characterized by a high content of plant-based, biodegradable and recycled materials. Its main ingredient is the waste recovered from Italian wine production.
In touch, wine leather resembles genuine leather. However, it’s 100% vegan and no animal products are used in the manufacturing process. The material is soft, smooth, 100% durable and recyclable. Grape leather has been widely acknowledged for its durability and received multiple awards such as the Start & Cup Award 2015, Start & Re-Start 2016, PETA Innovation Award 2017 and Global Change Award 2016 granted by H&M. This fabric was also recognized by the Bentley company which used it to cover the interior of their anniversary model for the 100th birthday of the company.
69% BIOBASEThe only polyurethane made of renewable raw materials, containing up to 69% of plant-based raw materials. Its use is unconventional in an industry where most of the materials come from fossil fuels which pollute our planet excessively. The material is made of viscose sourced from well-managed forests and bio-polyurethane from renewable raw materials. These bio-polyols come from non-food and GMO-free European maize and wheat crops.
It is one of the most ecological products among synthetic fabrics. According to the Life Cycle Assessment report, its production process and a technology developed for the material manufacturer use bio-based raw materials that have a very limited environmental impact compared to traditional methods. The production of this material has a lower impact on human health, the environment, climate change and global warming than a traditional petroleum product.
ORANGE AND CACTUS LEATHERA sustainable alternative for luxury leather manufactured in Italy and made of orange and cactus by-products (around 30%). This vegan alternative for leather was created and patented by an innovative startup set up in 2019. To create this material, the manufacturer recycles more than 1.4 million tonnes of orange and cactus by-products generated by the food and cosmetics industry in Sicily, transforming them into high-quality material of biological origin and, thus, strengthening the circular economy process. Thanks to it, what would become waste generates new economic resources rather than harming the environment.
Interestingly, the startup was selected as no. 1 on the Call4Fashion 2021 Murate Iea Park, a Florentine incubator and accelerator for the most promising startups in the fashion industry. It is also the winner of the MF Supply Chain 2021 “Best Innovation” award organized by the Class Editori and the National Chamber of Italian Fashion along with Intesa Sanpaolo and the “Environmentally Friendly Innovation 2021” Legambiente award winner for the most interesting project in the field of circular economy.
CORN LEATHERIt’s a biodegradable material containing 45 to 50% of industrial corn production waste. Vegan material which has the properties of animal leather.
Corn leather is manufactured in an Italian plant by a company with over 50 years of experience which is powered by solar energy. The fabric is certified by – among others – Peta (People for Ethical Tretment of Animals) and USDA (United States Department of Agriculture)
HEMP FABRICHemp fabric is hypoallergenic and doesn’t irritate skin. The material is breathable and mold-resistant. It absorbs moisture effectively and protects the skin against the sun Made in Europe, Oeko Tex certified.
Hemp is one of the most eco-friendly fabrics in the world. Its cultivation doesn’t require much water (half as much as cotton!) and the use of pesticides. Hemp displaces weeds, controls soil erosion and produces oxygen. It’s a renewable resource grown in only 100 days and entirely used in the production process: its seeds for the oil production, while the stems for fibers.
BAMBOO FABRICBamboo knit fabric is a high-quality and ecological cellulose fabric which we use inside of our footwear. The material is soft and flexible; in winter it will wrap your feet perfectly while in summer it will keep them cool. It has natural antibacterial, anti-fungal and thermoregulatory properties. It is made in the process of obtaining fibers from bamboo shoots. After being subjected to the appropriate processes, it is transformed into bamboo yarn.
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world. Some varieties may grow up to 18 meters in 3 months. Its cultivation does not require any chemical fertilizers and it improves the quality of the soil in which it grows.
SUGAR CANE SOLEThe latest sustainable innovation in the production of soles. It is made of 70% of resin produced from sugar cane, a renewable resource which contributes to the decrease of CO2 emissions. The product ensures excellent performance properties such as flexibility, lightness, comfort and abrasion resistance. The soles are made in a Portuguese company whose care for the sustainable development is reflected by its constant investments into new solutions based on a circular economy and ensuring the reduction of CO2 emissions.
At the same time, the company implements the “Environmental Management System” in accordance with the requirements of ISO 14001:2015 for environmental certification. Not only does the company use renewable sources of energy with photovoltaic panels installed throughout the whole roof, but it also invests in rationalizing activities and more efficient management of consumption. The production uses water in a closed circuit and optimizes the process by reducing as well as optimizing consumption and reusing raw and other materials.
rPETThe material is made from recycled, disposable plastic bottles. The use of the bottles reduces their storage and, thus, reduces the contamination of soil, air and water. Other positive environmental effects of using recycled polyester include the reduced dependence on the energy sources used to produce polyester such as petroleum.
Producing rPet does not require any farmland, and does not use gallons of water like cotton. In comparison, among others, to silk, no living creatures are harmed during its production, making it a more ethical option. The fabric, however, is still plastic, i.e. it contains microplastic which may get into the water during washing in the washing machine. Therefore, we believe it is a good idea to use this material in shoes and not in other clothes.
Have you known that out of 5 bottles we get a sufficient amount of fiber to create one extra-large T-shirt?
Recycled polyester is valued for being greener than virgin polyester, partly because it is much less energy-intensive. The process of making polyester from recycled plastic involves several steps. One application for this recycling process is the use of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic water bottles that serve as a building block for the polymerization process that acts as the first step in polyester formation. The initial steps in this process include the destruction of PET-based water bottles to produce smaller particles which are strung together by passing through a spinneret to form a yarn. Afterwards, the yarn is spooled and passed through a kneading machine to produce the desired texture before it is dyed and knitted into a polyester fabric.
