A $1,000 handbag made from orange peels mentioned in a recent TikTok is taking the luxury fashion world by storm.
According to sustainability creator Peter Song (@ChangingSustainability), luxury fashion brand Ganni is taking this plant-based material concept and putting it into practice.
Song's TikTok highlighted Ganni's new designer handbag, the Boohoo. The plant-based leather that makes up the bag consists of orange peels, cactus fiber, and resin.
@changingsustainability What if luxury handbags could replace leather with orange peels? Sounds insane… but it's already happening. A biotech startup in Italy figured out how to turn food waste into a plant-based leather alternative now being used by fashion brands for handbags, belts, and even car interiors. Some of these bags sell for over $1,000 and are already appearing in Fashion Week, Vogue, and luxury fashion campaigns. This could completely change the future of fashion, sustainability, and the leather industry forever. If you found value in this video, hit like & subscribe! Comment below: Would you wear something made from orange peels? #LuxuryFashion #SustainableFashion #FashionTech #Innovation #LeatherAlternative ♬ original sound - Peter Song - Sustainability
The bag comes in many different colors that range from a bold dark red to a softer sage green. One of the bags in the video also says on its side, "Made from oranges."
Song explained that Ganni's bag retails for roughly $1,000. It has already appeared at Fashion Week and in major fashion publications like Vogue and Elle.
Obtaining material for the bag begins in southern Italy, which discards approximately 1.3 million tons of orange peel waste each year.
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Rather than allowing those products to go unused, Italian biotech company Oho Skin transforms the peels into a powder. Then, the resin and cactus fiber come into the mix to create the bags' plant-based leather.
Song added that more than 80 brands are already incorporating the material into products. From handbags and belts to vehicle interiors, this material is very durable and usable in many situations.
Song also noted that the global leather industry relies on more than a billion animals each year. That makes alternatives particularly appealing to consumers interested in plant-based products.
Viewers in the comments were enthusiastic about the concept.
"Now that's what I call an innovation," one person wrote.
Another added, "LOVE IT."
A third commenter praised plant-based materials in general. They wrote in Spanish that they loved "cuero a base de plantas" (plant-based leather) and were glad to see initiatives helping guide society toward a more sustainable future.
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