This week Gucci launched Demetra, a vegan leather alternative made from wood pulp. The luxury brand said it spent two years researching and developing animal-free materials.
The new collection has three styles of sneakers Gucci Rhytons, Gucci Basket, and the Gucci Ace. The luxury brand is pricing the styles between $690-$940.
The wood pulp-based faux leather, Demetra, is composed of 80% raw materials. Demetra is produced in their Italian factory using the same process as leather tanning to ensure the plant-based material has the same softness, durability, and resilience. Also included in the collection is recycled steel, recycled polyester, and organic cotton.
Gucci’s President and CEO, Marco Bizzarri, said “In our 100th anniversary year… 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.”
“Demetra offers our industry an easily scalable, alternative choice and a more sustainable material that also answers the needs of animal-free solutions.”
In the past, Gucci has been known for using exotic animal skins and furs. They have since banned the use of fur in 2017, yet are still under pressure to ban exotic skins, such as alligator and crocodile. There is currently a petition with over 68,000 signatures.
Despite their new venture into cruelty-free materials, the brand still has a lot to work on. However, it is very exciting to see the progress that they have made in launching this vegan line that both classic Gucci sneaker lovers and ethical vegans can get behind!
Gucci plans to come out with more styles using Demetra in the near future. You can now view and shop the styles online at Gucci .
SHOP THE COLLECTION
photo credit: Gucci