Sustainability. It's a term we've been hearing a lot lately from our favorite fashion brands, from ASOS with its first circular collection to Gucci with its first environmentally conscious collection "Off the Grid" (opens in new tab). The fashion industry as a whole is increasingly trying to rectify its contribution to waste generation and climate change. (According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), every second a garbage truck's worth of clothing (open in new tab) is burned or dumped in landfills, and the fashion industry is responsible for 20% of global wastewater and 10% of global carbon emissions)

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Given the potential negative environmental and social (opens in new tab) impacts of consumers simply buying what they like, Heather Jiang, co-founder of Allégorie (opens in new tab), is committed to reducing waste and promoting recyclability and recycling, led her to look for more creative solutions in promoting waste reduction and recyclability. Her out-of-the-box idea 'to make high-quality, durable accessories like backpacks and crossbody bags from discarded fruit.

"Incorporating fruit and plant fibers into bags is relatively new," Jiang says. 'We spent a couple of years scouring the world trying to find the best possible materials. We tried pineapple, mushrooms, and bananas, and went through a lot of trial and error until we developed our own unique formula"

. [Now in its first year of business, the accessories line ranges from small "leather" products under $100 to larger products like a $325 backpack, all made from whole mangoes or apple peels.

Not to mention the technical challenge of turning food into usable materials that look and feel like leather, not to mention that less environmentally friendly materials are often more accessible and cheaper to use in fashion (hello, PVC and polyester (opens in new tab)). She and her co-founder, Jen, say they often work with small, local startups to source the fruit and produce the actual product. Another hurdle they have faced and overcome: the seasonality of the raw material supply. The good news, however, is that they are able to source fruit leather when fruit is in ample supply, without rotting or spoiling. "[Our partner suppliers] collect discarded apples from apple orchards and mangoes that are not sold in supermarkets and turn them into 'leather' at their facilities," Jiang says. "The dyes used for the accessories are plant-based and environmentally friendly. [Once we get the leather], we actually make the bags right here in the heart of New York City. We embrace the traditions of the Garment District."

The founders of Allegory source their fruit leather from countries such as Japan, Italy, the Netherlands, and Taiwan. They also strive to ensure that their supply chain process is transparent and ethical by personally visiting the facilities and speaking with the people who collect the fruit. Says Jiang, "This is a growing community, and when we depend on each other and trust each other, we all get along."

Taking it a step further, the lining of the Arreggioli products is made from a combination of plant-derived polymer materials and recycled polyester fibers. The "plant-derived part is called biomass-derived polymer and is made from crops such as corn and sugarcane. Recycled polyester fiber is recycled and made in a very environmentally efficient way that uses 84% less energy than traditional methods of producing the same type of material," Jiang said. [OMG, this smells like mango,' or 'It smells like real leather and is durable. She and Jen are now a team of two women working to promote Arreggioli's eco-friendly brand reputation and message to consumers. They are working on their business every day, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Besides, Jiang admits that Arreggioli is still not 100% sustainable, and while they are working to fix this, they are finding more fruits/vegetables to add to their Rolodex of ingredients. 'There have been times when nothing has worked and there have been opportunities to save a little on raw materials, but that's not what our brand is about. We want to explore every possible option," she says. 'We can push the fashion industry into a more sustainable future.'