The luxury label has crafted its very own plant-based material

After two years of in-house research and development, fashion house Gucci has debuted three new vegan leather sneakers made from Demetra, a cruelty-free material. These new sneakers are the Gucci Basket, Gucci New Ace and Gucci Rhyton. But first, let’s talk about Demetra. 

Born from Gucci’s desire to explore and innovate materials for the future, Demetra is developed by the brand’s own artisans and technicians. Featured in the shoes’ upper and part of the linings, Demetra is produced in Gucci’s factory in Tuscany and combines quality, softness and durability with an eco-friendly ideology. The material is created using the same processes in tanning and offer pliable and resilient performance with a supple finish.

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Gucci’s new Demetra shoes are composed of 77% plant-based raw materials, including “biobased polyurethane,” viscose and sustainably-sourced wood compounds. The other components contain organic cotton, recycled steel and recycled polyester. 

Additionally, as an extension of its Gucci-Up program to support circular economy, Demetra scraps will be upcycled and reused by Gucci. Moreover, the material can be easily scaled and produced in mass volumes. In the spirit of open innovation, the Italian Fashion House will also make Demetra available to the fashion industry as a new material source that can be customised to offer exclusive finishing, further facilitating application and differentiation.

“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 an evolving future. Demetra offers our industry an easily scalable, alternative choice and a more sustainable material that also answers the needs of animal-free solutions,” shared Marco Bizzarri, President and CEO of Gucci.

The three models are already available in Gucci stores and online. The brand has also said that more sneaker models and products in other categories using Demetra are in the works. 

Visit gucci.com for more information.