Mushrooms, seaweeds, hemp — eco-friendly alternatives to leather are coming from the unlikeliest of sources. But when designer Mayura Davda-Shah was looking for sustainable options to work with, the Solapur-native tapped into a product that had been in use for over 5,000 years — fish leather. “The use of fish skin is an ancient tradition in the Nordic region, especially in villages that were along rivers, streams or even the coasts,” explains the 27-year-old, who helms the brand M A Y U.
Home coming
Fascinated by the endless design possibilities of the novel material offered, Mayura launched her debut collection of card cases, clutches and slings, earlier in the year at the New York and Amster-dam Fashion Weeks before trying the local market. Recently opening up the collection to their Indian audience, the brand unveiled its collection, The Golden Circle online. “We only use a byproduct of the industry, ensuring that no fish are killed for the manufacturing of the product,” she says.
Circle of life
Using leather that is imported from tanneries in Germany, treated in naturally heated geothermal water of Iceland, and manufactured in zero-waste facility in Chennai, The Golden Circle collection currently uses Salmon and Wolfish. “There is a demand for products that resemble and have the same finish as the water snake or python skin and Salmon skin resembles them closely. The Wolfish has spots and no two fish skins are alike,” she says, adding that the brand does not produce more than 1,000 accessories per collection.
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C’est la vegan
Waiting on the B-Corp and Positive Luxury (a globally recognised sustainable fashion certification), the brand is already onto their next collection that launched earlier this month. A vegan collection created completely from upcycled pineapple leaves, the collection titled La Movida features geometric lines and vivid hues inspired by the Spanish dance, Flamenco. “My travels have always influenced my work. The collection draws inspiration from my time in Madrid, and though it was some years ago, I was convinced of using it in my future work.” The collection’s silhouettes —crossbody and shoulder bags, wristlets and wallets — resemble the pericon (fan) that adorns Flamenco dancers, while the colour palette dominated by red and grey, draws from the dance for itself.
Rs 35,000 onwards. Available online.