Speciality fibres giant Lenzing Group has linked up with leather alternative specialist Recyc Leather to introduce Pélinova, described as “an innovative material that fuses Tercel Lyocell fibres and recycled leather fibres” for “high-end fashion applications”.

And they’ve also joined with Danish contemporary brand Ganni to make a splash with the new product.

The trio said they’ll “bring this next-generation material to the market as an alternative to genuine leather materials, starting with Ganni’s Slouchy Boots launching early this year.

In addition to footwear, Ganni sees potential for the material in the accessories category and the three companies “have future developments in the pipeline to get even closer to being able to scale [its] use”.

During Première Vision Paris next week, the companies will take part in a panel discussion to “share their collaborative experiences as a prime example of how companies can unite to create high-end fashion using responsibly produced recycled materials”.

But what about the material itself? Pélinova, is created through a “unique, transparent process which involves collecting pre-consumer recycled leather and then hydro-jetting the leather fibres into the Tencel Lyocell fibres, a standout material within the Tencel brand portfolio that is produced from a resource-saving, closed-loop production process”.

We’re told Tencel Lyocell fibres are also “unfavourable to odour-causing bacteria”.

The end result of this is a material said to be “supple, flexible, and durable, with a low environmental impact utilising 70% less water than traditional methods and reducing CO2 emissions”.

Lauren Bartley, Chief Sustainability Officer at Ganni, added: “By the end of 2023, we achieved the ambitious goal of phasing out all virgin leather from upcoming collections – making this year our first without producing any virgin leather across both ready-to-wear and accessories collections.

“However, the work doesn’t stop here. Collaborating and experimenting with partners like Tencel and Recyc Leather on new fabric innovations to develop alternatives to materials as we know them today, is crucial to reaching ambitious carbon reduction goals.”