Attending Lineapelle in Milan is always a highlight of my year. I’ve been attending trade fairs for many years – first there was Pitti Filati in Florence when I worked on knitwear, sourcing yarns from all over the world, then jewellery + material fairs in HK during my accessories era.
Now, building Sans Beast, a vegan friendly handbag brand, my focus is on materials that use no animal products – and happily, this area of Lineapelle has grown enormously since I first started Sans Beast. It seems the world is slowly getting its head around the negative impact leather has on the environment, as well as the ethically challenged nature of raising animals for profit.
The team at Desserto continue to evolve + grow, with their nopal + agave centred materials being sold across the globe. They’ve managed to scale successfully + many of their products are primarily bio-based. NFW are of course gaining traction, and their recent nomination in the Earthshot prize is a testament to their innovation + hard work.
I chatted to the super inspiring co-founder at Oleago – a Turkish business turning olives + nature-based inputs into a new leather alternative, I’m excited to sample this one. We continue to work with Mabel + their Uppeal appleskin, however now they’ve joined forces with Coronet Spa, the scope + variety of their materials has expanded. Again, sampling is en route + I can’t wait to incorporate their range into our collection.
I’ve been talking with Tex2Tex™ regarding their upcycling of manufacturing waste into usable new fibres + materials. It’s always a pleasure to move from an on-screen meeting to an IRL discussion. Their ‘beyond bottles’ approach is modern + I look forward to seeing this passionate business scale.
Chatting with BioFluff was a highlight + I will be dreaming of this nature born fluffy material for months to come. Excited with the prospect of working with this textile.
YKK Europe recycled zippers + trims was next on my agenda, and seeing their latest collection filled pages in my notebook with ideas on how to apply these trims to our range.
It’s not easy embracing all of the new innovations in a small business like Sans Beast. These pioneers – as well as established businesses that are evolving their responsible approach to manufacturing – need scale to grow.They need awareness to build impact.
I urge bigger brands who make shoes + handbags to embrace the new gen leather alternative materials growing up in the space – we are niche + independent, yet if we can put our money where our mouth is, surely the big guns can too. If Ganni can do it, so can the raft of Australian large retailers (you know who you are) who are looking to hang their hat on sustainability + a responsible path forward.
In the spirit of connecting with like minded businesses, Silvia Gallo, founder of Jeane and Jax + I had the pleasure of sharing an aperitivo at end of day 2 Lineapelle 🍸
Arrivederci for now Milano – as always, you filled my cup + I can’t wait to return.
CW