London Brand Creates Vegan Leather From Mangoes

This month, London-based fashion brand Luxtra will debut its new collection of vegan and cruelty-free handbags made from mango-based leather. Created in collaboration with Dutch company FruitLeather Rotterdam, the new material is derived from leftover mangoes sourced from fruit markets that would otherwise be thrown away. The mangos are mashed and boiled (which eliminates bacteria) and then spread out in sheets to dry. Compared to animal-based leather, using mangoes to create a similar material reduces food waste, requires fewer resources to produce, and is also more ethical as it does not involve animal cruelty. This is not the first time Luxtra has incorporated food waste materials into its designs. Luxtra’s previous collections have featured Piñatex leather made from pineapples and Frumat leather made from apples. Other brands have used food waste in their materials to meet the demand for more sustainable and cruelty-free fashion items. Earlier this year, retail giant H&M unveiled its Conscious Collection featuring Vegea, a vegan leather made in Italy from waste byproducts of the wine industry. And last year, British brand The Original Satchel Store became an all-vegan company by replacing leather with Piñatex.