Pour a Glass, Save the Planet

In honor of earth day and everything green, we will continue with our series on materials in nature used in fashion. This one might be my most favorite, grape leather. Not that you needed another reason to pour that after work glass of wine, but here it is. The brand Pangaia has been able to utilize the waste produced in winemaking, and create a new material, that they refer to as grape leather.  Dr Amanda Parkes, Pangaia’s Chief Innovation Officer says, “Even the term ‘waste’ – we need to get rid of that term when we talk about the bio-economy! It’s about everything in nature having a place.”

In the endeavor to create grape leather, Pangaia is using grape pulp, skin, seed and stem leftovers combined with water-based polyurethane that turns into a grape biomaterial that is then coated onto organic cotton, turning it in what Pangaia is calling Grape Leather.  Remember how in the last blog we spoke about closing the loop on sustainable fashion? This does exactly that while simultaneously creating a glass of wine.

Grape leather is not the only sustainable fabric that Pangaia is incorporating into their designs, their fabric FLWRDWN, is made from waste wildflower and serves as a replacement for animal feathers or non-biodegradable polyester. This wildflower solution will be incorporated into everything from their classic hoodies to the stuffing used for coats.

This month is not only about bringing awareness to keeping our planet clean, but about how we can all incorporate sustainability into our everyday habits. Fashion is an easy way to transition your everyday habits into slightly more sustainable habits. Shopping thrift is not only great for your wallet, but incredibly beneficial for the planet, it reinforces the closing the loop on fashion. So do me a favor? Sit back pour yourself a glass of wine, open your laptop and save the planet by shopping thrift, it’s never been easier to be a superhero.