As you know, at Angarde, we aim to give meaning to your approach. And this also involves the choice of our materials. Today, grape “leather” is in the spotlight.
Our new After Surf sneaker in grape “leather”
Publié le
Par Ségolène Meurou
After pineapple “leather” ( Piñatex® ) or even cactus “leather” (Desserto®): the alternatives to traditional leather that we have used until now in our production, in this article we will zoom in on the Grape “leather”: material from our new After Surf sneaker collection.
Remember, we will talk about vegetable “leather”, emphasizing the quotation marks because no leather can be vegetable or vegan. By definition, leather finds its origin in the skin of an animal. However, to date no term exists to designate these materials.
Grape “leather”, by an Italian start-up Vegea®
It's Vegea®, an Italian start-up that has won the jackpot in the race to invent plant-based "leathers".
Created in Milan in 2016 by an architect and a chemist, Vegea aimed to create eco-sustainable materials intended for the fashion and design industry, excluding all animal materials and adopting a circular economy model.
This is a more than successful thing with the invention of this vegetable “leather” requiring no new resources or cultivated land since it is made with everything that was traditionally thrown away by the 7,500,000 hectares dedicated to the wine industry in the world: the skin, branches and seeds of grapes, as well as pruning residue!
And Vegea® did not stop there since the small company also decided to patent a textile thread resembling cotton, made from the same vine waste.
How does Vegea® transform grape marc into vegetable “leather”?
The Vegea® grape “leather” is truly exceptional. Firstly by its very accomplished appearance and absolutely similar to animal leather. Also because it is an ultra-resistant material. But above all by its incredible manufacturing process:
- We collect the plant waste, then place it in ovens so that it heats up. Once dehydrated, they are reduced to powder.
- To make it a strong, resistant and waterproof textile, the fine powder is mixed with a resin composed of grape vegetable oil (bio-compound) and water-based polymer (PU 25%).
- We then obtain a thick white paste ready to be colored (while respecting Man and the planet of course).
- The dough is then spread out in a large strip to allow it to dry. All we have to do is cut out the fabric to make our accessories. And There you go !
An innovative, sustainable & animal friendly material whose production has a very low impact on the planet in addition to being very easy to clean. For these reasons, we chose vegetable grape “leather” to make our new After Surf Raisin and we are delighted with the result!
You too ?
By choosing vegetable “leather”, you are investing in responsible consumption. And for good reason: plant-based “leather” products are recyclable and hold up very well over time.
A small fashion revolution, which makes all the difference in the way we consume fashion.
To buy your pair of After Surf Raisin, it’s this way !
Also read:
Vegetable tanned leather - How to clean white shoes? - Vegetable tanned leather - Vegan: definition of a unique mode of consumption
