Desserto, a Mexican startup company has created an award-winning textile that is both vegan and environmentally sustainable. The textile looks and performs like real leather, which makes it ideal for the company’s black and white pieces.

The textile named Desserto quickly gained recognition last year and is now featured in an Australian first, cruelty-free handbag brand A_C Official. The company has created its entire nine-piece Raison d’Etre collection from the plant-based textile. Desserto is a man-made leather material derived from cactus. 

Tessa Carroll, A_C’s Official founder and designer, stated that they titled the collection Raison d’Etre, as it means ‘reason for being’. Carroll added that she had been in the fashion industry for over 15 years and has witnessed the waste and pollution caused by its sheer existence. She stated that she established this business in the hope that technology would catch up to sustainable ideas.

Desserto fit the company’s ideologies perfectly. Animal leather requires toxic chemicals that harm the environment and prevent the finished product from degrading. Traditional leather also is imposed animal cruelty and is a source for global deforestation.

Desserto as a textile is low impact in contrast as cactus do not require much water to survive. They are native to Mexico and regrow very quickly, making them easy to regenerate. The innovators also only pick mature leaves from the plant, which is crucial to protecting the land from soil degradation. The company’s cactus fields do not require additional irrigation as they survive on rainwater. Unlike other vegan leather options, such as the plastic-derived polyurethane, cactus leather isn’t fossil-fuel dependent, meaning it’s both more climate-friendly and partially biodegradable. The material has the properties and aesthetic of the traditional leather and makes it ideal for handbag designs. 

Carroll stated that she was excited about the collection and as for her no other plant-based textiles managed to bridge the gap with mainstream fashion the way Desserto did.

The minimalist Raison d’Etre range features clutches, slimline wallets and even a backpack in black and white styles, with pieces ranging from $109 to $389.