Designers Turn to Wood for New Fabrics
Jeremy Gutsche — June 27, 2006 — Eco
References: ddclab & online.wsj
With wine manufacturers increasingly turning to plastic corks, Portuguese cork factories are turning to fashion - and it's taking off. Cork fashion is much less stiff than you'd think, and designers are loving the novelty and eco-friendly appeal. The cork material, also known as 'cork leather' and 'cork fabric', is thin, pliable, and coated with Scotchguard. The cork fashion shown here include the $2,400 cork coat from DDCLab and $135 stilletto pumps from Stuart Weitzman.
Trend Themes
1. Cork Fabric Apparel - Fashion designers are increasingly experimenting with eco-friendly alternatives such as cork fabrics for their clothing line.
2. Sustainable Footwear - Cork material being a flexible alternative to leather is well-suited for footwear, making it a trendy and eco-friendly choice.
3. Wine Product Spin-offs - In line with the trend towards eco-friendly manufacturing, cork factories that have been affected by the increased use of plastic corks are exploring fashion product lines using cork material.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion - The fashion industry can benefit from the usage of cork leather as the cork material is eco-friendly and provides a unique feel.
2. Footwear - The footwear industry has opportunities to innovate with cork material as a sustainable and flexible alternative to animal leather.
3. Wine Manufacturing - Wine manufacturers can explore spin-offs from cork production by leveraging the novelty factor of eco-friendly fashion merchandise made from cork material.
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