Designer Luca Nichetto has made his first foray into fashion accessories with the Malala handbag, which was partially produced from apples for vegan leathergoods brand Angela Roi.
Malala is Angela Roi's first accessory made from apple leather, a fabric that is created using scraps such as peels and cores from apple processing that would otherwise go to waste.
However, while the Angela Roi website describes apple leather as an "entirely plant-based alternative to real leather", the brand clarified to Dezeen that the material is a mix of apple-derived fibres and the petroleum-derived material polyurethane plastic that is commonly used for vegan leathergoods.
The Malala bag is made of an apple-based leather alternative
This apple-polyurethane blend is then applied on a mixed cotton-polyester backing material. According to Nichetto Studio, the fabric retains both the feel and the look of leather, and will similarly change over time, developing a softer texture and natural sheen.
"I believe that considering the economic situation, the environmental challenges and this crisis in the world, design should try to find answers in the creation of objects that are durable and sustainable," said Nichetto.
The bag is meant to offer a more sustainable alternative for high-end consumers
The bag was named after Pakistani education activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai and features a distinctive design with four functional pockets built into the top ope...