Appleskin: Apple “leather”
Candy apple, apple compote, Adam's apple, apple crumble... I digress, it's apple "leather" that we're going to talk about! Leather with quotation marks because this word normally refers to the skin of an animal. We should therefore not normally talk about vegan leather, but rather imitation leather , alter leather or even fake leather .
So to be more precise, this vegan alternative to animal leather is called Appleskin , it is an innovative material that integrates apple waste into its composition , hence its name! Translation for the Frenchies: AppleSki n means apple skin .
What is apple “leather”?
This material was developed by the Italian company Frumat, which had the idea of recovering residues from the production of apple juice to transform them into raw material.
The standard formulation of Appleskin vegan "leather" contains 50% apple peel, this can vary depending on the desired texture ( between 22 % and 50% ).
These apple wastes come from the agri-food industry from crops in the Bolzano region in northern Italy . After producing juices, cider or even compote, it would be a shame to throw away the peels, so why not recycle them! They are so ground to become a powder which is coagulated with P U (polyurethane) and coated on a cotton and polyester base. This will create a material similar to animal leather, just as flexible and resistant but 100% vegan !
In addition to being an environmentally friendly vegan material, Appleskin is breathable thanks to its organic composition . It is soft to the touch and there is a wide choice of textures and colors . The colors are intense thanks to a process of coagulation and pigment impregnation which makes the material rich in color and for a long time, unlike animal leather which uses coloring agents which causes a loss of color over time.
Appleskin is an alternative to animal leather that is much less polluting and more respectful of animals. This vegan material has already won over the automotive industry, including the Tesla brand, which uses apple leather for the seats of its electric cars.
Vegan fashion made with apples
Faux apple leather is perfectly suited to making quality vegan shoes , but also vegan bags and all types of small leather goods. Here are some examples of beautiful fashion items made from Appleskin.
Fenics Apple "Leather" Sneakers
