The innovation in a nutshell

Using leftovers from winemaking to create fully vegetal leather.

Let us explain

Architect Gianpiero Tessitore was working on his furniture designs when he realized that the fashion industry still can’t offer a truly green alternative to animal and synthetic leather. Together with industrial chemist Francesco Merlino, he embarked on a mission to find one.

After three years of research they discovered that grape skins, stalks and seeds discarded during wine production are is ideal for making 100% vegetal leather. No toxic solvents, heavy metals or dangerous substances are needed in the production process.

Since winning the award

After winning the Global Change Award, the team worked on their first prototypes for dresses, handbags and shoes made of grape leather. They won the Horizon 2020, the biggest EU research and innovation program ever and the European Parliament recognized Vegea as one of the best European start-ups of the new millennium.

Vegea is still investing a lot in research and development to further improve the material and make it compatible not only with fashion and packaging but also in the furniture and car industry. In July 2019 it was announced that Bentley had chosen Vegea for the interiors of their new car model.

The same year, fashion brand & Other Stories made a clutch and a pair of sandals of Vegea leather for Bandana Tewari to wear at the red carpet of the award ceremony of the Global Change Award.