The cockpit of the supercar Aston Martin is trimmed with patented cactus leather.
First Things First
Two Mexican entrepreneurs have developed a method for transforming cacti into a leather-like material. It looks very realistic. It is almost impossible to distinguish bags made of animal skin and cactus.
Cactus is known for its tough, thick leather, which gives Vegan Leather Desserto the perfect texture to simulate animal skin.
Adrian Lopez Velarde and Marthe Cazarez were working in the fashion and furniture industries when they realized that environmental pollution was a serious problem. They both quit their jobs and decided to devote a few years to come up with something amazing that could change the world. It took them about two years until they finally invented leather-like material. It happened in July 2019.
Cactus saves not only animals but our environment as well.
The leather industry argues that animal skin is a by-product of the meat industry and that the tanning industry is simply converting a product that would otherwise go to a landfill. From an environmental (non-vegan) point of view, this argument would be valid if it weren't for the tremendous environmental damage caused by the tanning industry around the world.
Did you know that chrome-tanned leather is the most popular form of leather production these days and one of the most harmful? It is based on a poisonous porridge of chromium salts and a tanning solution.
And as stated on the official website Desserto. Even in fully modernized tanneries, it is nearly impossible to dispose of all contaminants generated by the Tanning Processing.
The inventors grow their cacti on a ranch in the state of Zacatecas and now own 2 hectares of cactus beds.
They make 500,000 m of eco-leather a month, which is called Desserto. Mature cactus leaves are cut, peeled, kneaded, and then left in the sun to dry for three days. Then - processing using a technology that Mexican entrepreneurs have patented and certified.
The debut took place in Milan. The interest from the fashion industry, furniture, and automotive industries in the light of animal protection and environmental trends is huge. For example, shoes or car seats made of cactus "leather" are breathable and organic.
DESSERTO® featured in Vogue Paris April 2021.
LINEAPELLE is the most important international exhibition dedicated to leather, accessories, components, synthetics, and models for footwear, leather goods, garments, and furniture.
The September exhibition will be held on the 22-24th with Desserto participating.
The fair system represented by LINEAPELLE and its connected “niche” events showcases the high quality of the exhibiting companies, with their outstanding style and customer service.
The event takes place twice a year, in February for the summer and September for the winter collections, at the Milan exhibition centre.
“Looking forward to seeing you soon at @lineapellefair this September 22-24 in Milan 🇮🇹 🌵 it’s been 2 years since our first appearance at the expo, thrilled to have the chance to finally meet our partners in person”
Shared by Adrian Lopez on Instagram page.
Automotive exclusive biomaterial made of cactus as an alternative to leather developed by Adriano Di Marti home of @desserto.pelle has unveiled its new automotive material, Deserttex, in partnership with the BMW Startup Garage. With this innovative technology, the company aims to make a significant contribution to the development of BMW Group vehicles.
One of the best materials is that it not only looks like natural leather but is not inferior to it in terms of its consumer properties. The ideal for innovation. It grows quickly, water is not required for irrigation, toxic chemicals are also not needed for the technology, energy for manufacturing is a minimum.
They also write on their official page on Instagram:
“Did you know that a Cactus only needs 200 litres of water to grow one kilogram of biomass? But those 200 litres are absorbed by the plant itself from humidity present in the environment, without the necessity of using irrigation thanks to its hygroscopic mechanism “
Cactus leather can withstand regular use for almost 10 years. Further, it can be recycled: it is a partially biodegradable material that does not contain plastic.
You can purchase products on the Official Website Desserto
Discover latest materials at @lineapellefair and at @highnumbersofficial
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