Piñatex
Pinatex is a leather-like material made from the byproducts of pineapple harvesting. It is amazing to think that the pineapple plant is able to be turned into a quality piece of 'leather' which is indistinguishable from the real thing. The process of how this happens is by felting the long fibres from pineapple leaves together to create a non-woven substrate. Fibres from the pineapple leaves are decorticated (has the bark/husk removed), washed and hung to dry. The fibres that make Piñatex® come from pineapple leaves from the Philippines.
In our store we offer shoes from Nae that are made with Piñatex®. There are two different types of boots and a pair of sandals made from this unique and awesome material. It's not everyday that you can tell people you are wearing pineapple on your feet.
Hemp
Hemp based fabrics have been gaining in popularity over the course of the past few years. This is because growing and manufacturing hemp is great for the environment. Growing the crop requires 50 percent less water per season than growing traditional cotton crops. It can also grow in a range of environments and still produce a high yield. The crop is very resilient and low maintainence, meaning that zero pesticides need to be used.
The fabric itself is long lasting but is able to easily biodegrade. It produces breathable clothing items which also happen to be UV resistant. The fabric is said to get softer with age, letting people get maximum comfort for years to come.
Econyl®
Econyl® is a material that is made from recycled nylon materials collected from the ocean such as fishing nets and old carpet flooring. It then undergoes a process of regeneration to bring it back to its original purity for use in fabric products. The new nylon is then processed into yarn and polymers which will be used as part of clothing garmets.
It is awesome to think that landfill waste and ocean waste can be regenerated into a useful product again. Some of the biggest brands in the world such as Adidas and Speedo have now adopted the material in order to become a more sustainable brand.
Tencel™
Tencel™ is an eco fabric that is becoming popular. It is being used in almost all types of products that involve fabric.
In most cases the word Tencel is associated with the lyocell fibres used in fabrics. The lyocell fibres can be combined with many other fibres to create unique properties. "Unique physical properties of TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers lead to their great strength, efficient moisture absorption and gentleness to skin."
TENCEL® is the name of an Austrian company called Lenzing AG
Tencel is made by first dissolving wood pulp and using a special drying process called spinning. Before the drying process, wood chips are mixed with a solvent to create a wet mixture. This is then pushed through tiny holes to create thread which then becomes yarn.
