We live in an era where we can no longer deny the harmful effects our modern society has on the environment and, yeah OK — I’ll admit that sounds incredibly dismal but it’s also been motivating to see how companies are reinventing tradition and developing more sustainable ways of living.
One piece of that sustainable puzzle is changing the sources of our fabrics and how we produce them. Of course, faux fur has been around for a while, 3-D printed material is becoming an increasingly popular technology, and if you’re not using a reusable straw these days — well just prepare to be hardcore judged.
But have you heard of leather made of cactus yet?
That’s what Adriano Di Marti, a company that develops what the founders call Desserto® (vegan, sustainable cactus leather) created.
The Origins of the Vegan, Sustainable Cactus Leather
I first heard about Adriano Di Marti while listening to a Duolingo podcast (I’m learning Spanish right now and their podcast is super cool since it mixes English and Spanish, but this isn’t a review of the podcast so I digress). I learned from the podcast that the company’s founders are Mexico-natives Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cázarez who founded this sustainable brand in 2019. They quit their full-time jobs and sacrificed a lot (including nearly going bankrupt) to pursue this dream and vision they had to solve the pollution, Amazon deforestation, and animal cruelty issues our world faces.
It was inspiring — the fact that they fought for something they believed in despite it seeming like they were going to fail is a lesson I definitely need to remember in my everyday life.
After a lot of R&D, they secured a booth at a big fashion convention in Milan, Italy. It was there where their hard work (and the help of some multi-lingual friends and a superbly un-luxurious booth with luxurious products) paid off.
Now, only a year later, Adriano Di Marti has two product lines: Desserto® and Deserttex®.
The former is a “highly sustainable plant-based material as an alternative to leather made from cactus, often distinguished by its great softness at touch while offering a great performance for a wide variety of applications and complying with the most rigorous quality and environmental standards.” Yes, I am sold.
The latter is “an automotive exclusive material which aims to provide premium brands a highly sustainable cactus-based material which performs to the standards of the industry.”
Their two sustainable lines of cactus leather now beg the question: How can I become sponsored so I can replace everything I own with this sleek, cross-functional material?
Adriano Di Marti x H&M
Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cázarez recently secured a deal with H&M as part of their “cutting-edge” fashion line made of sustainable materials called Sustainable Story. This collection is the first line of H&M’s new series, Innovation Stories, which will focus on fashion that’s… Well, innovative and sustainable.
According to an interview with H&M and LIVEKINDLY, this initial drop is an “ode to the beauty of science” and aims to celebrate the “inspiring thinkers, researchers, and scientists who challenge the boundaries of sustainability.”
Let’s be honest: H&M isn’t known for being sustainable. If anything, H&M (and companies like H&M) are the opposite of sustainable. But they’re affordable. So it’s refreshing to see them work diligently on developing their programs dedicated to helping the environment. If they can truly reduce their impact on the world as they say they hope to do, this could mean wider access to those who want to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
And of course, this shift in production techniques is massively better for our environment — we’re talking a 10-year lifespan, reducing plastic waste from 32% to 42%, and a reduction in water usage by 20% compared to animal-based leather.
Where to Buy Desserto®
You can’t buy either line directly from Adriano Di Marti unless you’re a fashion company looking for materials for production, but luckily the entrepreneur-duo is steadily partnering up with brands.
Here are some of the brands that have worked with Desserto® to make sustainable clothing:
- H&M Innovation Series collection (note: most are sold out or coming soon)
- Sanabul boxing gloves
- CLAE sneakers
- LUXTRA handbags
Admittedly, these aren’t the cheapest products on the market but sustainable material isn’t exactly synonymous with affordable. This is part of the reason our planet is in a climate crisis though — fast fashion can be wildly inexpensive, but our world is now facing the consequences of its production.
Hopefully, as we move towards a more sustainable lifestyle, these products will become more affordable. But for now? Let’s keep supporting brands like this however we can — whether that means buying their products or sharing their story on social media. With businesses like these, maybe our doomsday destiny won’t happen as soon as we think.
