After two years of in-House research and development, Gucci presents Demetra—a new material that is meant to combine quality, softness and durability with an eco-friendly ethos. Demetra is made from animal-free raw materials that are primarily from sustainable, renewable and bio-based sources: 77% are based on plant resources, a blend of viscose and wood pulp sourced from forests that are sustainably managed. Furthermore, bio-based polyurethane also flows into it. To make it supple, Demetra is tanned like a traditional leather.
According to Gucci, unlike most innovative new materials, Demetra has no impediments to scalability or limitations on volume.
Rhyton sneaker model by Gucci
The introduction of Demetra is also part of the Italian luxury brand’s next step in supporting a circular economy and through an extension of its Gucci-Up program, Demetra scraps produced during the manufacturing process will be upcycled and reused by Gucci.
Close up of Gucci's Demetra material
Demetra is produced entirely in a Gucci factory in Italy and is suitable for a wide range of product categories. To mark Gucci’s first products made with Demetra, three sneaker models – the Basket, the New Ace and the Rhyton – have been introduced. In the spirit of open innovation, Gucci will make Demetra available to the fashion industry in 2022.
“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. Demetra offers our industry an easily scalable, alternative choice and a more sustainable material that also answers the needs of animal-free solutions,” says Marco Bizzarri, president and CEO of Gucci.
Gucci's new Basket sneaker
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