Did you know that when you search for vegan leather, you will most likely find fabric made out of PVC? PVC is a tough chemically resistant synthetic resin used for a wide variety of products. Clothing that contains synthetic materials such as PVC and nylon contributes to microplastic pollution that eventually end up in the ocean. My mission has always been to create sustainable designs by changing the standard production methods used for the last 72 years, such as replacing synthetic material with eco-friendly textiles.
As I continue to experiment with artistic statements, I wanted to try something new and out of my comfort zone. Inspired by the vegetative, budding, flowering, and ripening stages of plants between seasons, designing my jacket collection came naturally, it was trying to find the material that became the challenge. I needed to find an alternative textile that would be sustainable and would keep you warm!
With much research, I discovered that there were plenty of companies that created true vegan leather and eventually came across Piñatex®. Piñatex is a non-biodegradable leather alternative made from cellulose fibers extracted from pineapple leaves, PLA, and petroleum-based resin. The Spanish based company was developed by Dr Carmen Hijosa and first presented at the PhD graduate exhibition at the Royal College of Art, London. Unlike other true vegan leather companies, Pinatex was the only one that made their textiles available to large and small scale designers.
My F/W 2021-22 collection consists of Piñatex leather in it's natural tone or hand dyed with heavy indigo and annatto seeds. Lined with layered contrasting organza followed with geometric spacing and shapes. It is the bold statement peering through a leaden season.
Now available to view in my lookbook: