Vegetable leather made with prickly pears

A completely eco-sustainable, versatile leather, suitable for numerous applications in accessories, furnishings, and clothing. Made, however, not from plastic or animal skin, but from prickly pear cactus.

LEATHER MADE WITH PRICKLY PEARS

The creators of this new material are two very young Mexican entrepreneurs from Guadalajara, Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cazárez who spent two years of research to offer a valid alternative to leather and hide, starting from a plant that is symbolic of Mexico, which grows spontaneously and abundantly in those lands.

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Nopal, the prickly pear, was chosen after a series of trials and errors with other raw materials, and is a plant long used in the cosmetics industry for the production of shampoos, creams, and various preparations, as it possesses all the characteristics suitable for the manufacturing sector. And it was quite by chance, while handling a cosmetic bottle, that Adrián and Marte, along with a team of engineers and in close collaboration with farmers and peasants from local Mexican villages, decided to spend years studying how to produce a leather-like material from prickly pear cactus. This would benefit the environment, threatened by the unsustainability of animal leather, but also the country's economy, which could further rely on industrial-scale prickly pear cultivation.

This is because the prickly pear it is a succulent plant, native and perfectly integrated into the Mexican biosystem, it doesn't need a lot of water, without the expense of irrigation costs and waste, and, above all, it has always been cultivated and produced, thus relying on the know-how and skill of local gatherers and farmers. This generates wealth and redistributes it throughout the region.

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VEGETABLE LEATHER FROM PRICKLY PEARS

The experiment of two young Mexican entrepreneurs However, it is not the only studio moving towards the creation of valid alternatives to animal leather, in terms of versatility, texture and performance. It is, however, in chronological order, the latest stage in a quest to replace animal skin in the fashion industry. It ranges from tofu to pineapple, passing through a Made in Italy creation, a vegetable leather derived from grape pomace. The entire fashion sector, moreover, both in high fashion and in prêt-à-porter, but also, in some cases, the big fast-fashion giants, are increasingly adopting alternatives to animal leather. This is due to the new material's characteristics, but also, and above all, to its affordability and savings: it's becoming increasingly less cost-effective to turn to eco-leather made from plastic or its derivatives when this material costs only 25 euros per meter. Another step towards sustainable fashion.

The images are taken from the brand's Facebook page Dessert

STORIES OF SUSTAINABLE FASHION:

• Spazzuk, a sustainable fashion story starring a woman from Molise. Alessandra has returned to Italy, overcome cancer, and is producing zero-waste clothing (photo)
• Fruits and vegetables are worn in an eco-designer's clothing collection. She salvages unsold items from local markets.
• Sowed, the wedding dress atelier that helps women victims of violence.