Ganni Slouchy boots are the first product to use a major new alternative to leather

Specialty fibers giant Lenzing Group has teamed up with leather alternatives specialist Recyc Leather to introduce Pélinova, described as “an innovative material that fuses Tercel Lyocell fibers and recycled leather fibres” for “high-end fashion applications” .

And they have also teamed up with contemporary Danish brand Ganni to make a splash with the new product.

The trio said they will “bring this next-generation material to market as an alternative to genuine leather materials, starting with the launch of Ganni's Slouchy Boots earlier this year.

In addition to footwear, Ganni sees potential for the material in the accessories category and the three companies “have future developments in the pipeline to get even closer to being able to scale.” [its] wear”.

During Première Vision Paris next week, the companies will participate in a roundtable to “share their collaboration experiences as an excellent example of how companies can come together to create high-end fashion using responsibly produced recycled materials.”

But what about the material itself? Pélinova, is created through a “unique and transparent process that involves collecting pre-consumer recycled leather and then hydrojet injecting the leather fibers into Tencel Lyocell fibers, a featured material within the Tencel brand portfolio that is produced from a process that saves resources. closed-loop production process.

We're told that Tencel Lyocell fibers are also “unfavorable to odor-causing bacteria.”

The end result is a material that is said to be “flexible, flexible and durable, with a low environmental impact, using 70% less water than traditional methods and reducing CO2 emissions.”

Lauren Bartley, Chief Sustainability Officer at Ganni, added: “By the end of 2023, we will achieve the ambitious goal of phasing out all virgin leather from upcoming collections, making this the first year without producing virgin leather in prêt- à-porter. and accessory collections.

“However, the work does not end here. “Collaborating and experimenting with partners such as Tencel and Recyc Leather on new fabric innovations to develop alternatives to materials as we know them today is crucial to achieving ambitious carbon reduction targets.”