Desserto® Wants Cactus Leather To Be The Obvious Alternative To Leather
When I think about the fact that I can hold a telephone in my hand, I am a little blown away. When I was younger, we begged my parents for our own phone line. My parents allowing us to have our own phone line was a big deal. I finally was able to talk on the phone and not be rushed off by one of my parents. Then I had a beeper. A beeper was a device that you carried around that was assigned a number. Someone would call your number, it would beep and then display their number. You had to find a pay phone (comment below if you don’t know what a pay phone is) in order to call the person back. That was also a big deal.
As we struggle to find solutions to reverse the negative impact of the fashion industry on the environment, fashion innovators are working to bring new products to forefront to help with the fight for sustainable fashion. Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cázarez are two such persons. After working in various industries including the fashion, automotive and furniture industries, Velarde and Cázarez noticed the negative environmental impact of those industries and wanted to create something to reduce those factors. After two years of research and development, the pair brought Desserto® to the market. Desserto® is their vegan leather product made from cactus—Nopal cactus to be exact. Their aim is to offer cruelty-free, sustainable alternatives, without any toxic chemicals, phthalates and PVC.
The cactus used to create Desserto® is grown on a farm in the state of Zacatecas, Mexico. Unlike cotton, which is planted annually, cactus is perennial, meaning that it is planted one time and the plantation last for about 8 years. During the harvesting, only the mature leaves are removed without damaging the plant itself. Afterwards, the leaves are dried under the sun for three days. Then they process the organic raw material to make Desserto®. The process requires much less water than cotton, no chemicals are used, and the complete process is traceable and transparent. Desserto® is being used for handbags, shoes, apparel, and interiors.
Learn more at: Desserto®
