Vegan Bags Made From… Apples: Meet Nuuwaï

Who doesn’t love apples? They are the ultimate snack to grab in the middle of a busy day, with their crunchy texture, sweet or sour taste and health benefits that keep your mind sharp. But apples aren’t exclusively nature’s perfect snack anymore: they are also the raw material from which one of the most sustainable and innovative vegan leather alternatives is made- yes, you read correctly: apple leather is a real thing, and it is here to stay.

We all know the true cost of leather: apart from being extremely cruel and killing millions of animals for their skin, it is killing our planet and thousands of people, too. In recent years, when animal rights are something people are more aware of, animal-free leather innovations, such as apple leather, are getting bigger and bigger. One of the brands who recognized this potential earlier than anyone else was Nuuwaï.

The Story Behind Nuuwaï

Nuuwaï is an award-winning Germany-based vegan brand creating modern bags made of „AppleSkin“ material. The brand was founded by the lovely Svenja Detto, who met her during my visit to Neonyt Berlin. She is one of coolest, hard-working women ever- I was so excited to talk with her and see her collection, as it was the first time I’ve actually seen this material up close.

Svenja went vegan about 5 years ago, shortly after adopting her first cat. “I always considered myself as an animal lover, but never really made the connection, that „farm“ animals, like pigs and cows, have the same emotions as our pets, and should also have the same right to live a happy life, just like them”. One night she decided to watch the movie Earthlings (just like me!), that left her sad and shocked and made her become vegan overnight. “I couldn’t support animal agriculture anymore. My first motivation to be vegan was purely ethical, but the more I learned about the environmental effects of animal agriculture, the ecological aspect of veganism became important to me as well”.

Believe it or not, the idea of opening Nuuwaï came coincidentally, when Svenja was watching a TV report about apple leather: “I was really amazed by the idea of turning apple waste into a vegan leather. It always bothered me a bit, that most vegan bags are completely made of PU or PVC (or look like vegan bags because they’re made out of cork or fabric), so I started looking for apple leather bags, but couldn’t find any.

After talking with her father about the material and the face no one used it, he encouraged her to start Nuuwaï. “I always knew that I wanted to work in a job that is related to veganism, but never really planned on working in the fashion industry- I’m glad I took the leap and started my own business. I think it’s important to show people, that there are ethical, eco-friendly and animal-friendly bags that look just like the „real“ thing”. Earlier this year, Nuuwaï won the Eluxe Awards as the best vegan brand of 2019, leading vegan fashion to the top!

How Apple Leather Is Made?

To make their apple leather, named “Appleskin”, Nuuwaï takes the fruit waste from the apple industry (mainly, from apple juice production), dehydrate and ground it into a very fine apple powder. The powder is then mixed with 50% PU (polyurethane) and applied to a tear-resistant roll with cotton fabric. These rolls are then heated to produce a weather resistant, durable fabric, which is then embossed to create different surface structures.

Nuuwaï’s Sustainability

Apart from using apple leather for their bags, Nuuwaï uses 100% recycled plastic bottles and fishing nets for their bag’s linings: they are working with the Ecoalf Foundation, and supporting their “Upcycling The Oceans” project by buying their recycled ocean-plastic deadstock and using it for the lining of their bags: this way, they are reducing waste and saving resources, without compromising style and quality. The brand is also trying to have a zero-waste production and use apple leather and lining leftovers to make smaller pieces like straps, zipper details or small pockets.

For their packaging, Nuuwaï doesn’t use plastic, but luxurious organic cotton dust-bags that aren’t only easier on the planet, but also protecting your handbags, assuring they’ll serve you for a long time.

“We only have one planet and I think we don’t really have another choice: living and working in sustainable and eco-friendly ways is crucial if we want to leave a healthy planet for future generations”.

Svenja Detto, Founder of Nuuwaï

Who Made My Bag? Nuuwaï’s Ethics

Ethics are the core of Nuuwaï: “Our bags are made in India in a family-owned factory that is SEDEX SMETA 6.0 certified- which ensures social standards (no child labor, no discrimination, safe work conditions, regulated working hours, etc.)”.

The Nuuwaï team and Svenja are regularly visiting their factories and stay in close contact with the employees there. “We met our producers when we started planning nuuwaï and visited them before we started the production, to make sure everything is as promised”, Svenja says. “They pay their workers a living wage (many times over minimum wage) and the production building was built 2 years ago. It has all the necessary security measurements like fire extinguishers, fire exits, etc. and also changing rooms, dressing rooms and break rooms for the workers”.

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“It was important to us to find a production that has fair and ethical conditions for their workers. We’re happy and proud to work with a factory that suits Nuuwaï’s ethics. To assure everything is working the way it should, we regularly visit our factories and stay in close touch with the employees there”

Nuuwaï’s Spring/Summer 2019 Collection

When looking at Nuuwaï’s bags, it’s hard not to be mesmerized by the modern, casual designs and beautiful selection of colors. “For our spring collection, I wanted to use some light colors and design smaller bags to suit the season and all year around. Our collection was inspired by spring colors, like the light blue sky and blossoming flowers. I would describe our collection as very light and puristic with an urban touch”. 

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An Apple a Day: How I styled my Nuuwaï bag

When Nuuwaï asked me to choose one of their bags, the answer, to me, was obvious: I fell in love with their LICA bag ever since I saw it in Neonyt! I adore the simplicity of this bag, that goes well with many of my spring looks. It is super lightweight and small yet very spacious enough to easily fit all my essentials. It comes with a cute detachable strap that you can wear over your shoulder or crossbody.

I really like the attention Nuuwaï put to the small details: under its flap closure and in its back, Nuuwaï ‘s logo and the word “vegan” are nicely embossed. For my outfits today I chose colorfully, urban, fun spring looks to go with Nuuwaï’s whole vibe. The minty suit worked well with pastel hues of the bag and the colorfulness of the top and the maxi skirt. It is such a great way to add a pop of color to every look you’d wear!

I really enjoy wearing my Nuuwaï bag for casual days when I don’t need to take my laptop and just stroll around the city. What do you think about the bag? and about Nuuwaï? let me know in the comments below.

Ethical outfits details:

Outfit #1:

LICA Bag: Nuuwaï

Gaia Top: Saniaki Clothing

Gaia Skirt: Sanikai Clothing

Comfort Sandal: HUNTD.

Outfit #2:

LICA Bag: Nuuwaï

Mint top+bottom set: Old, from Renuar (similar here)

Hope you enjoyed today’s post! let me know what’s your favorite apple bag by Nuuwaï below

VISIT Nuuwaï’s WEBSITE: CLICK HERE

FOR MY BAG: CLICK HERE

See you soon,

xx

Noa

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Pictures taken by the talented Tevel Gilad!

*This post is part of a paid collaboration with Nuuwaï. There are no affiliate links or codes in this post. All the opinions are mine only. To read more, visit my ethics page.