Pineapples have long been my favourite fruit. I’m not alone in my admiration of this, the most beautiful of fruit – designers, architects and artists have been using the pineapple and its features to stunning visual and symbolic effect to inspire their creations for centuries. From Victorian pineapple door knockers as a symbol of hospitality, to Stella McCartney’s famous cheeky swimsuit and t-shirt designs for Chloe, to interior design classics like the pineapple lamp and chandelier, or William Morris Art Nouveau prints, the success of the pineapple endures.
As if this gorgeous fruit, with its tropical green pluming crown and decadent golden latticework, belying the sweetest, tastiest, tropical treat, is not already enriching our lives enough, the beauty of the pineapple has been taken to a whole new level.
The by-product leaves from this humble fruit would normally be discarded after harvest, but have now cleverly been put to incredible use to form a luxurious faux leather fabric named Piñatex.
Piñatex creates an additional income stream for farmers allowing them to fully utilise their crops and although it’s not fully biodegradable due to a protective coating applied to the surface, its production is far less polluting and resource intensive than leather and synthetic leather alternatives, meaning it’s far less damaging to the environment.
Piñatex is in the early days of production and currently dependent on a small supply chain so this is not a fabric that is widely available yet, although I’m sure as demand grows the supply chain will too.
I’m just obsessed with this beautiful, natural, sustainably sourced and cruelty free material and I want to share some of the fabulous Piñatex goodies I found online.
Bare Piñatex Sneakers from The Place to V
The Place to V is a website selling products selected based on their environmental credentials and “1% of the price for each product sold is donated to charities that protect the environment or who act in favour of animal welfare”. I just can’t get enough of these stylish pumps to add some glam sports lux to any outfit. Spring is here in the UK and these might just be perfect all rounders – can’t wait to dress down a silky summer dress with these or dress up a black leggings and sweater look on my one walk per day in lockdown.
Shop these here for €82.50
Cowboy Creamy by Bohema Clothing
These cowboy boots are a gorgeous offering by Bohema, a vegan brand whose products are ‘handcrafted, created with passion and commitment‘. I love a good pair of cowboy boots and these are so unusual in this chic creamy colour.
Shop these here for €209.00
The Lovely Things Cross Body, Clutch and Purse
The Lovely Things store is packed with cute Piñatex goodies along with other beautiful vegan delights and I found it tricky to cherry pick which pieces to display for you. When I’m not wearing my backpack, you can usually find me rocking a small cross body bag. Gone are the days I carry around everything but the kitchen sink; now, for day to day wear, I like a bag that fits my purse, lip-salve, lipliner, lipstick and my phone in it, and this little Luna Crossbody Bag is perfect for that. This comes in four colours – black, sage, paprika, and tan and the zip is gold on each of them which I adore. You can get a matching Aroma Zip Clutch and Auri Coin Purse too and they are all on my wish list.
Shop it here for $55.20
Shop it here for $44.00
Shop it here for $35.00
Votch Watch
It’s no secret among vegans that Votch Watch is the go-to brand for animal lovers who want to tell the time in style. This company is a PETA fashion awards winner and is the 2017 winner of the Best of Vegan award from Unicorn Goods. These classic watches with Piñatex straps are available with gold, rose gold, silver or black detail on the face and come in their minimal classic style or new style with extra detail on the face.
Buy one here priced between £135.00 and £150.00
So there you have it – sustainable fashion that is stylish too! These pieces are a bit more pricey than some of the other leather alternatives out there, but as Pinatex production is developed and upscaled I can imagine the price coming down. As always, I like to think of price per wear to give me a gauge of the true value of any item I buy, and when we factor in the low cost to the environment, I think investing in these pieces is well worth it!
What do you think of this clever fabric? Have you bought anything in Piñatex yet?
Love, V x
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