With the growing awareness of the need for sustainable consumption, the vegan leather industry has accelerated its growth in recent years. According to a report published by Infinium Global Research, its turnover has already exceeded 40 billion euros and is expected to double by 2025. More and more mid-range and high-end brands have abandoned leather in favor of other alternatives that are visually almost identical and, in theory, less polluting. But what is vegan leather and how is it made? An example of such an innovative alternative comes from an Asturian entrepreneur who is revolutionizing the textile market with a natural, vegan fabric made from pineapples. Piñatex is a textile company founded more than 10 years ago by Carmen Hijosa from Asturias.
She began to study the fibre of pineapples, a material that has been used in the Philippines for 300 years, and realised that it was a very flexible and strong material. Since this discovery, 12 years have passed and Piñatex has become a sustainable and cruelty-free alternative for many companies. His product brings pineapple waste to life and provides jobs for farming communities in the Philippines She uses the waste from this tropical fruit to make numerous creations, with which she has already walked the catwalks all over the world. Her leather made from pineapple is a revolutionary way of transforming waste into modern fashion. Nike Shoes Made from Piñatex Nike has begun to release sustainable footwear with its Happy Pineapple collection. Featuring seven new editions, the range is made from state-of-the-art Piñatex, a sustainable plant-based alternative to the animal leather used in some of its trainers.. Featuring seven new editions, the range is made from state-of-the-art Piñatex, a sustainable plant-based alternative to the animal leather used in some of its trainers. The collection comprises seven editions of shoes in five styles; Free Run Trail Premium, Air Max 90, Air Max 95, Air Force One, and Air-Zoom Type. The collection was launched last year as part of Nike’s “Move to Zero” initiative, which represents Nike’s mission and responsibility to enhance the future of sport by working towards a zero carbon footprint.
Nike is one of the first brands to use the new vegan material Piñatex, but it is not alone. This alternative has been echoed by major brands such as Hugo Boss and H&M, which have already been using more sustainable materials in their collections for several years. Companies nowadays want transparency in their supply chains, and to use products that are socially responsible. That is why Piñatex is positioning itself at the forefront of these plant-based materials. Nike is also a member of the Leather Working Group. The objective of this multi-stakeholder group is to develop and maintain a protocol that assesses the environmental compliance and performance capabilities of tanners and leather producers and promotes sound and sustainable environmental business practices within the leather industry.