The nopal has become a trend, being used as a textile material in the so-called “sustainable fashion”. In fact, this material is known as “vegan leather” and is highly valued for its great resistance. But what is this species of cactus and what are the big clothing brands that are committed to sustainability?
In Mexico, the nopal is one of the most well-known and abundant plants throughout the territory. Normally, it is used for gastronomic purposes, however, the so-called “vegan leather” has become one of the faces of sustainability.
What is nopal?
Also known as prickly pear, the nopal is a shrub-type plant and is of the Opuntia genus. This plant belongs to the cacti family and is native to Mexico, where nopales are part of the culture of the entire Mexican territory. In fact, it is one of the elements that can be seen in the National Coat of Arms.
The largest number of species and genera of nopales are found in their native country, Mexico. However, in almost the entire extension of the American continent other types of nopal can be found. Also, this plant has been cultivated and naturalized in other countries, Italy, Spain and North Africa, are the most important territories after Mexico.
The Spanish conquerors were the first to bring the nopal to European lands. Initially, they did it to take advantage of those extensions of unproductive land that were found in the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula.
Later it would be introduced in Italy, where a nopal cultivation industry was founded and, today, the plantation is centralized on the island of Sicily. For its part, in North Africa, there is a great variety of this plant in wild conditions.
What are the characteristics of the nopal?
This plant is quite easy to identify with the naked eye, nopales are very fleshy, with arboreal characteristics. Its stems are usually flat and elongated, while its medium green color and its large number of thorns make the nopal a very distinctive plant.
The prickly pear or nopal has two different types of spines, there are the long ones, whose texture is usually harder, and the short spines, which are smaller and thinner. Nopales are characterized by being long-lasting plants that, in addition, withstand high temperatures very well.
It is possible to find this plant in places where the sea level reaches up to 3 thousand meters. Despite being wild plants, nopales are very easy to grow, so they can be planted in the garden. However, it is necessary to keep in mind the different genera before cultivating them, since some tend to grow very large.
Its flowers appear annually, they are formed in the highest part of the stems and their shape is quite similar to a multi-colored crown. After flowering, the nopal bears fruit, it is a kind of oval-shaped berry. Its shell is usually very thick and, like the plant, is wrapped in thorns.
The nopal fruit has a fairly fleshy pulp full of small seeds, it is known as prickly pear and in other places as prickly pears. In Mexico this fruit is one of the most popular, since it is edible and has many properties.
In countries such as Peru, Argentina, Chile, Spain and Italy, as well as Mexico, the prickly pear is used to prepare a wide variety of drinks. Some are sweet, others a little more sour, the prickly pear is also used in brewing.
What are the clothing brands that have opted for nopal?
Currently, vegan leather, developed from the nopal plant, has become a trend. So much so, that the big clothing brands and prestigious designers have chosen to choose the path of sustainability to create their designs.
desert
She is the main creator of vegan leather made from nopal, a brand born in Mexico that has currently closed several collaborations with other well-known brands. Most of these are international firms that are at the top of the fashion and beauty world.
Desserto recently started several jobs with brands like Fossil, Givenchy, Everlane and Karl Lagerdeld. As a result, innovative products were designed that, in addition to being very attractive, have a message to convey. It is none other than that its production has sustainability and care for the environment as a priority.
Three years have passed since the first time Desserto surprised the world with an alternative material to animal leather. The surprise was even greater when they announced that it was the nopal, a native plant and cultural hallmark of Mexico.
Shortly after, the brand grew very fast, signing agreements with other renowned brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Adidas and H&M. Recently they have already announced what will be the new brands with which they will work soon.
Recently, the Mexican brand was awarded by the organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, better known as PETA. But that’s not all, it also got an important mention from LVMH at the Viva Technology Show, held in Paris.
Innovation Award is an award given to new companies that work to develop creativity and innovation. Desserto also received recognition for its great idea of producing a brilliant alternative such as nopal leather.
karl lagerfeld
The prestigious firm has recently used nopal skin to design a new collection made together with another of the most popular firms, Amber Valleta. Said collection was 100% designed under terms of sustainability and care for the environment.
Reason why each of the garments and accessories made were made with various materials of organic origin. Among those that stand out are cotton and recycled fibers, while the shoes designed for the collection were also made with vegan nopal leather.
Everlane
Another of the great brands that took the step to sustainable fashion is the firm of American origin, Everlane. The specialist brand in so-called “ethical fashion” premiered what will be its new special collection called “The Cactus Leather Collection” made with nopal.
The collection is divided into four beautiful bag models, each with exclusive brand features and in different colors. The founder of the Everlane firm, Michael Preysman, made a statement about the new collaboration with the Desserto brand.
Said statement reads as follows: “No pesticides. Nopales. In collaboration with Desserto, we’ve taken our best-selling crossbody bag and rebuilt it with organically sourced nopales. The Desserto textile is our first plant-based material to be used as an alternative to leather.”
fossil
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the prestigious Smiley brand, the collaboration with Fossil was made official to design a commemorative bag that will be a limited edition. The Deserto brand nopal skin will be the material chosen to make the new backpack. What will be a complete success, since it is a piece aimed at collectors.
Some of the details of the commemorative backpack, which will have a detachable fanny pack, have already been revealed. Also, the appearance of the bag will have a retro style, with beautiful neon details that give it that cheerful touch. The surface of the backpack will be completely dark, with a beautiful engraving of happy faces.
The collector’s item known as Smilet x Fossil Buckner is now fully available in the brand’s store. Being a special edition backpack, they only have 350 pieces worldwide.
Givenchy
Although it is true that nopal skin has become a trend in the world of fashion, it has also reached the beauty industry. In this sense, the Givenchy Parfums brand recently launched one of its products made with vegan leather Desserto.
The firm, belonging to the popular LMVH group, made a beautiful 100% vegan case. This piece was developed for its product “Couture Rose Perfecto”, a liquid lip balm with a marbled appearance.
The container will be made of glass, while the cap of the bottle will be lined with nopal leather dyed in pink. The collaboration between Desserto and LVMH is not recent, in fact, the firm of Mexican origin is part of the group, specifically, in the “Maison des startups”.
In addition, Desserto finished in second place at the LVMH Innovation Award 2020 event, in which it achieved special recognition as the favorite in the materials category.
Sources: Fashion united, finedininglovers, America Retail.