Been London, a British accessories firm, has partnered with Arda Biomaterials, a London-based materials start-up, to create a snakeskin-style purse using locally gathered discarded grain from London’s ‘Beer Mile’ in Bermondse
This is an exciting step forward in sustainable fashion. The new version of Been’s best-selling ‘Millais’ shoulder bag is the first to feature Arda’s groundbreaking leather-like material, ‘New Grain.’ This material is animal- and plastic-free and was produced using leftover plant proteins from discarded grain from London breweries.
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‘New Grain’ is characterized as “an extraordinary next-generation material” and attempts to provide a leather-like appearance with the same sumptuous feel and high quality, all while transforming a globally abundant byproduct of the beer brewing and whiskey distilling industries into something new. According to Arda, ‘New Grain’ “significantly enhances resource efficiency while achieving unique qualities unattainable by animal skins” by avoiding animal-derived ingredients. The fabric is designed from the ground up, allowing for bespoke patterns, thickness, colors, elasticity, flexibility, and fragrances.
The handbag is the first item in a range of accessories that will debut later this year, including wallets, laptop cases, and other bag types.
In addition, the production process generates 97% less CO2 than traditional leather and eliminates the destructive tanning process, resulting in a cleaner environment and zero microplastics.
Arda’s chief technical officer, Edward TJ Mitchell, said in a statement, “We’re extremely proud to see our partnership with Been materialize into the first tangible product made from New Grain.”
“The concept bag is the result of ongoing R&D in which we experimented with different thicknesses, colors, patterns, material flexibility, designs, and so on. Been’s experience dealing with new materials allowed us to turn our next-generation material into a final product in record time.”
Genia Mineeva, the creator of Been London, added: “Working with Arda has been an incredible experience. This collaboration enables us to develop new materials and lead the way in circular design and sustainable fashion.
“As a firm that creates premium products solely from discarded materials, we’re really excited about Arda’s innovation.” The New Grain handbag is only the beginning of what we can accomplish together.”
