Luxury fashion brand Gucci just released its first line of vegan sneakers made from Demetra, a leather alternative the brand spent two years developing. Inspired by Greek goddess of harvest Demeter, the new material is made from 77 percent plant-based raw materials, including wood pulp and viscose, and is tanned in the way leather would be but without animal cruelty or environmental harm. Gucci is showcasing Demetra in three different sneaker styles: The Gucci Basket, Gucci New Ace, and Gucci Rhyton, which retail between $702 and $940 and are all made in its Italian factory.
“In our 100th anniversary year, Demetra is a new category of material that encapsulates Gucci’s quality and aesthetic standards with our desire to innovate, leveraging our traditional skills and know-how to create for an evolving future,” GUCCI President and CEO Marco Bizzarri told Women’s Wear Daily. “Demetra offers our industry an easily scalable, alternative choice and a more sustainable material that also answers the needs of animal-free solutions.”
The Basket and New Ace styles are available in stores and online with the Basket style set to debut on June 18. Gucci plans to release additional styles made with Demetra in upcoming collections.
Sustainable vegan leather
Demetra—which Gucci is looking to patent and trademark—is part of the brand’s effort to make the fashion industry more sustainable. In 2022, Gucci will license Demetra to other companies owned by its parent company Kering, which also manages the development of fashion industry giants Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, and more.
In addition to developing specific styles featuring Demetra, Gucci will also incorporate the new material across its portfolio of handbags, shoes, apparel, and accessories as an animal-free alternative to leather. Scraps of Demetra will also be repurposed along with other waste materials in the brand’s production processes under Gucci-Up, a program that seeks to create a circular economy.
Luxury brands go beyond vegan leather
Gucci’s parent company Kering—which also manages the development of Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, and more—is part of a coalition of fashion brands working with startup Bolt Threads, maker of mushroom-derived vegan leather. Together with Adidas, Stella McCartney, Lululemon, Kering is working with the startup’s Mylo, a sustainable vegan leather made from mycelium, the fast-growing root systems of mushrooms.
Mylo is environmentally superior to animal-derived leather in a variety of areas, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions, lowered water and land use, and, is made without animal cruelty. The coalition has thus far resulted in two concept pieces—a pair of Mylo vegan trousers and a corset top—developed by Stella McCartney. Adidas is also working to replace leather, and polyurethane-based vegan leather, with Mylo and unveiled its first mushroom leather-based Stan Smith concept shoe in April with plans to bring the vegan style to the public in the near future.
Mylo is one of many new sustainable alternatives to vegan leather—which is a cruelty-free alternative to animal skins but is often made from environmentally damaging materials. Other sustainable vegan leathers are made from cactus (Desserto), pineapple (Piñatex), apples (Apple Skin), and many more innovative materials.
In April, luxury fashion house Karl Lagerfeld debuted its first collection made with Desserto’s vegan cactus leather. Supermodel Amber Valletta—a friend of the late Lagerfeld—headed up the design of the collection and reimagined a modern version of the brand’s iconic K/Kushion, which ditches leather in favor of the sustainable vegan alternative made from nopal (prickly pear cactus).
Photo credit: Gucci
FAQs
Step out in style with Gucci's newest vegan sneakers available in three different designs.
How to tell if Gucci shoes are real? ›
Authentic Gucci's have a serial number which should consist of two things: a six-digit style number and the sizing (eight numbers in total). With sneakers, the serial is typically found at the heel of the lining. For women's shoes, the serial should be found on the sole just above the sizing.
Do Gucci shoes hold their value? ›
Resale website The Real Real told Footwear News that the iconic Gucci loafer "holds its value especially well," noting that it can resell for up to 80% of its original value. Surprisingly, these designer shoes are holding value better than handbags by the same brands.
What are vegan leather shoes made of? ›
You wouldn't put them on a sandwich, but vegan shoes can be made from plants such as mushrooms, bananas, or apples or from synthetic materials like polyurethane (PU), microfiber, or rubber. What makes shoes vegan is that they don't contain any animal-derived materials—such as leather, suede, or wool.
Which animal leather does Gucci use? ›
In never-before-seen footage, a PETA Asia investigation into an Indonesian slaughterhouse that supplies Gucci with lizard skins reveals how Gucci wallets, belts, and purses are made. The lizards' legs are tied, then they're callously thrown around and beheaded without stunning—causing them a prolonged, agonizing death.
Is vegan leather actually vegan? ›
Vegan leather is artificial, synthetic, or “faux” leather made from agricultural waste products and sustainable biomaterials. It can also be made from polymers like polyurethane and other recyclable materials. Vegan leather is an alternative to animal leather and is made without using any animal products.
Is Gucci on Amazon authentic? ›
A: We are an authorized dealer for Gucci. All of our products are 100% authentic, brand new, and never used guaranteed. You are more than welcome to take our product to your local retail store to verify authenticity.
Where is authentic Gucci made? ›
Another way to know if a Gucci bag is original is to check if the item has been made in Italy. Absolutely all the firm's bags are manufactured in Italy, so it must be indicated on the label.
Where is the serial number on Gucci sneakers? ›
Most Gucci sneakers will have a serial number printed on a label under the tongue or on the inside of the upper. This tag usually contains basic information about the shoe, including size, where it was made, material and serial number.
What age buys Gucci the most? ›
What Type of Person Buys Gucci?
- Women: These are females aged 25-40 and 40-60 with an eye for quality and style.
- Men: Men aged 25 to 40 who are well off financially and interested in purchasing items that will hold up over time.
Due to the brand's innovative nature, expanded product offerings, quality craftsmanship, iconic monogram, cultural capital, and continued relevancy in the fashion industry, Gucci can retain high price points for its items.
What is the downside of vegan leather? ›
Not-So-Great Vegan Leather
It generally looks and feels the same too. The trouble is, vegan leather is most often made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyurethane. Both of these materials are made from fossil fuels and take many centuries to break down.
What is vegan leather called? ›
Artificial leather is known under many names, including leatherette, imitation leather, faux leather, vegan leather, PU leather (polyurethane), and pleather.
What is 100% vegan leather? ›
Vegan leather is often made from polyurethane, a polymer that can be made to order for any designer's whim. It can also be made from innovative and sustainable materials such as pineapple leaves, cork, apple peels, other fruit waste, and recycled plastic and used to create products that put animal skins to shame.
What leather does Gucci use? ›
Many vintage Gucci products were constructed with pigskin, calf and exotic leathers imported from different parts of the world. Today's Gucci leather is the ultra-luxurious Guccissima leather, meaning “the most Gucci” in Italian.
Is Gucci cruelty-free and vegan? ›
Gucci is not entirely vegan, meaning some products contain animal-derived ingredients. They may have vegan options, but as the brand is not considered cruelty-free, I wouldn't consider them vegan.
Does Louis Vuitton use vegan leather? ›
Neutral grey tones provide a foil to the bold graphic motif across the front and back, created by bands of vegan leather featuring both a Damier motif and written Louis Vuitton signatures.
Does Gucci use animal skin? ›
Kering stopped using animal fur, starting with Gucci, in 2017, but did not join Chanel when the luxury brand opted to to end its use of exotic skins from lizards, snakes and crocodiles.
