Italian fashion house Bottega Veneta sent models down the catwalk in footwear made of sugarcane and coffee that the brand claims are fully biodegradable.
The chunky boots, a hybrid of clogs and wellies, were sported by both male and female models during the brand's Autumn Winter 2020 show at Milan Fashion Week.

"The rubber is made with natural molecules including ones derived from sugarcane and coffee, rather than with synthetic chemicals," the brand told Dezeen.
"That means they will biodegrade within a year once placed underground, or in a controlled environment under specific lighting and humidity conditions alongside the presence of microorganisms."

After becoming the first luxury brand to receive a LEED certificate for its headquarters, this is the latest move towards sustainability for Bottega Veneta, which has long been synonymous with leather goods. Luxury brands from Gucci to Prada and Burberry have already gone animal-fur free, and attention has now shifted to leather, not just due to implications of animal cruelty but also because of the material's environmental impact.
Leather requires the mass rearing of livestock, which leads to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation and the rapid consumption of finite natural resources. It also entails the chemical pollution created in the process of tanning and treating the leather.
Image courtesy of Eva Al Desnudo
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