Luxury fashion house Gucci announced the launch of three sneaker models made from 'Demetra', a luxury material created from over 77 percent plant-based sources which include viscose, wood pulp compound and biobased polyurethane among others. Demetra is a product of over two years of research. The three sneakers that were launched used Demetra in combination with organic cottton and recycled steel and polyester.
Produced entirely in Gucci's factoryin Italy, the new material is created using the same expertise and processes for tanning, thereby achieving characteristics that give Demetra a distinctive, pliable and resilient performance, with a supple and luxurious finish.
"In our 100th anniversary year, Demetra is a new category of material that encapsulates Gucci's quality and aesthetic standards with our desire to innovate, leveraging our traditional skills and know-how to create for an evolving future," said Marco Bizzarri, President and CEO of Gucci.
"Demetra offers our industry an easily scalable, alternative choice and a more sustainable material that also answers the needs of animal-free solutions."
Gucci will also make Demetra available to the fashion industry as a new material source that can be customized to offer exclusive finishing, further facilitating application and differentiation. Meanwhile, as a next step to support a circular economy, Demetra scraps during manufacturing will be upcycled and reused by the brand through an extension of its Gucci-Up program.
The Gucci Basket, Gucci New Ace and Gucci Rhyton sneakers are the first products made with Demetra, including the majority of the upper and part of the linings. They are animal-free and other components contain organic cotton, recycled steel, and recycled polyester.
Meanwhile, it published its inaugural Impact Report which revealed that the brand surpassed its 2025 reduction target four years ahead of time: 44 per cent reduction of total environmental impacts and 47 per cent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions (2015 baseline). In 2020, the Italian house achieved a 17 per cent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions and a 9 per cent reduction of its total footprint versus 2019.
The Gucci New Ace and Gucci Rhyton models are available in stores and online; and the Gucci Basket will retail starting June 18, 2021.