Cactus Leather: The New Eco-Friendly Fabric

This summer’s increased push to buy Black has brought much more attention to the designs of Telfar Simons. Whether you love the shopping bag or hate it, every color and size is flying off the shelves. His restock goes so fast that many are questioning whether bots are linked to the limited availability. Those who are lucky enough to secure a bag, resell it for almost double the original price. 

Now, many question if buying vegan leather is worth the hassle. While brands like Telfar, Doshi and Stella McCartney continue to push the boundaries of sustainable design, sometimes the materials and processes used leave a less than desirable product. However, two entrepreneurs from Mexico are shaking things up with a leather alternative that is not only eco-friendly, but has the look and feel of real leather. The source? A cactus. 

Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cázarez have developed a method of transforming cacti into vegan leather that looks so realistic, you’d never guess it was made from this desert plant. They called their cactus vegan leather Desserto and it is made from cacti sustainably grown on their ranch in the Mexican state of the Zacatecas. The cactus is known for its rugged, thick skin, which makes it the perfect texture to simulate animal leather. It also requires a significantly less amount of water to grow and maintain. 

So far, Desserto has created car seats, shoes, handbags, and even apparel. Since it’s made of organic material, their leather is breathable, which is often a problem with synthetic alternatives. Another plus for the environment, is that cactus leather is also partially biodegradable and doesn’t contain any plastic—another issue with synthetic leather. This makes for a true alternative to animal leather that doesn’t have a negative impact on the planet. Velarde and Cázarez say Desserto leather goods last for a minimum of 10 years - longer than it’s synthetic rivals.

No matter what brand you’re a fan of (or can get around the bots to secure), vegan leather is a change that the world has embraced as a suitable alternative. What’s even better is that brands like Desserto continue to push sustainability in fashion a few steps further into the future.