Fleather, founded by former automation engineer Ankit Agarwal, offers an unusual leather alternative made from upcycled flowers. Fleather is a versatile raw material that can be used to make a variety of products including shoes, handbags, and apparel and recently won the UN Sustainability Award. Its 100 percent biodegradable and upcycles a product that would otherwise be wasted.
The new flower-based leather alternative was discovered by accident, while Agarwal was working to upcycle used flowers at Kanpur Flower Cycling Private Limited. He noticed a "dense" and "fibrous" material that had started growing out of the unused fibers that featured the same texture and appearance as leather. After studying the material, Agarwal and his team began studying the substance and realized that over a period of three weeks, the alternative leather is formed.
Fleather currently hires over 70 women from marginalized communities and hopes to increase its workforce to 5,000 women in the future.
Upcycled Flower Leathers
Fleather Offers Vegan Leather Alternatives Made from Indian Temple Flower
Trend Themes
1. Upcycled Materials - The use of upcycled materials, such as upcycled flower leather, presents disruptive innovation opportunities for sustainable and eco-friendly product manufacturing.
2. Vegan Leather - The rise of vegan leather alternatives, like fleather, creates opportunities for the fashion and accessories industry to cater to the growing demand for cruelty-free and sustainable products.
3. Female Empowerment - The emphasis on hiring women from marginalized communities in the production of flower leather opens up avenues for social impact and inclusive workforce practices across industries.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion - The fashion industry can leverage upcycled flower leathers to create innovative and sustainable clothing, footwear, and accessory lines, aligning with evolving consumer preferences.
2. Sustainable Manufacturing - Incorporating upcycled materials like fleather into manufacturing processes enables various industries to adopt more sustainable practices, reducing waste and environmental impact.
3. Social Entrepreneurship - The production of flower leathers and the focus on employing marginalized women in the workforce presents a social entrepreneurship opportunity that combines sustainability and empowerment.