Image: Gucci
The brand has developed the vegan range using a material that offers the “industry an easily scalable, alternative choice and also answers the needs of animal-free solutions.”
Gucci has unveiled its first-ever vegan sneaker range made from wood pulp.
The latest collection coincides with the fashion brand’s 100th anniversary year.
According to the fashion house, it spent two years researching the animal-free material, Demetra (named after the Greek goddess of harvest Demeter) – a faux leather made from 77 % plant-based raw materials, including wood pulp and viscose sourced from sustainably managed forests.
In addition, the sneakers also contain biobased polyurethane sourced from wheat and corn, recycled steel and some synthetic materials such as polyurethane and resin.
Ethical and eco-friendly versatile material
Demetra is manufactured in Gucci’s own factory in Italy using the same tanning techniques employed in processing leather to make it resilient and supple but without animal cruelty or environmental harm.
Gucci is using the new fabric in all of its three new sneakers: The Gucci Basket, Gucci New Ace, and Gucci Rhyton.
Furthermore, the brand is looking to trademark the material to use across its fashion portfolio of handbags, shoes, apparel, and accessories and license it to other companies owned by its parent company Kering such as Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga and Saint Laurent to name a few.
Encapsulates Gucci’s quality and aesthetic standards
According to Gucci’s CEO and president, Marco Bizzarri, “Demetra is a new category of material that encapsulates Gucci’s quality and aesthetic standards with our desire to innovate, leveraging our traditional skills and know-how to create for an evolving future,” Women’s Wear Daily reported.
“Demetra offers our industry an easily scalable, alternative choice and a more sustainable material that also answers the needs of animal-free solutions,” she added.
The sneakers are available in stores and online at retail prices between $702-$940.
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