Article written by: SOPHIE HIRSH There are so many fashion brands on the market making "vegan leather goods" , but most are derived from plastic. However, a new brand out of Mexico called Desserto is shaking things up by turning nopal cactus leaves into organic, all-natural, cruelty-free leather. Desserto is the first cactus-based leather on the market, and the material has the potential to make the vegan leather industry much more sustainable. Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cázarez debuted their innovative brand Desserto, created by their company Adriano Di Marti, at the International Leather Fair Lineapelle 2019 in Milan.Desserto showed at RawAssembly, a sustainable raw materials sourcing event in Australia. Vogue Australia reported that Desserto had the most buzz of all companies at the entire event — so the brand is certainly one to watch out for. As reported by Fashion United,...

This week I had the opportunity to be a guest on “Oh… We’re Going There” a podcast created by Tahira Benjamin, creator of goKnowWear.com.. Tahira is not a mega-blogger, or a macro-Influencer, but she is really pretty proud of what she has created online. Tahira talks about subjects that she actually cares about. This podcast is no different, and seeks to keep you in the know on how Black and Brown Millennials and Gen-Zers are shaping and influenced by society. Like we all know, and like Tahira knows we live in a world where those voices simply don’t get enough play...so, Tahira hopes to go there with change-makers like Nayamka Roberts-Smith, Bree Newsome Bass, Jaime Harrison, Shannon Watts, Shirley Raines, and NOW myself Nicole.  On this episdoe Tahira and I...

Biodegradable’ is a term that is often used when talking about the textile industry from an environmentally conscious angle. If you want to make environmentally conscious fabric and fashion choices, it’s worth knowing a little more about biodegradable fabrics, the impact they have and why they’re a greener choice. The term ‘biodegradable’ refers to the ability of a substance to decompose naturally via living organisms. Not all fabrics are safely biodegradable as they are made with artificial and chemical components that do not get broken down by microorganisms easily. Do not confuse biodegradable with the term “bio-based”. Bio-based fabrics may have been produced from naturally grown fibres, such as cotton, but are not always easily biodegradable after being manufactured into fabric and can also include synthetic fibres blended in. For...