Watch: The Mexican duo making sustainable leather from succulents

euronews (in English)

Adrián Lopez and Marte Cazarez invented an eco-friendly, plant-based material that is used by fashion houses globally.

Transcript

00:00Sustainability has become a way of living personally and also in my work.

00:09Responsible fashion means to be careful not to leave a negative impact on the environment.

00:16With all the pollution that the fashion and automotive industry was carrying,

00:20we saw a lack of materials available to the industry.

00:23We decided to do something.

00:25My name is Marte Cáceres.

00:27And my name is Adrián López Velarde.

00:30We are the co-founders of Deserto.

00:34Deserto is a company that produces and sells plant-based materials.

00:49Being in Mexico, we had to use something endemic.

00:52And cactus is in the national flag, in our dishes, in our culture.

00:57So we thought, why don't we just try to use what we have here in Mexico

01:02and create an innovation out of it.

01:13The first step to produce cactus leather is to grow the cactus plants.

01:17After about four to six months, the cactus is mature enough.

01:22Once harvested, it is then sent into a system where the spines are removed and the cactus is reindered.

01:31Then it is spread on a solarium for all the humidity to get removed.

01:37Once this process is complete, we separate the fibers so we can get organic raw material.

01:44Then humidity is further extracted from the cactus and it is sealed.

01:49Then that is sent to the laboratory where we start to formulate the material

01:54in terms of color, thickness, elasticity, and performance.

01:59And we also check technical parameters of the formulation to make sure that it has a good UV resistance.

02:19In the industry of aloe, we have a lot of bags and watches.

02:23So when we sat at the table, we put our tools here.

02:27We realized by studying the plants a lot that nopal was a plant that offered us more sustainable benefits

02:33because it didn't need water, it didn't need chemicals, agrochemicals, to be able to produce locally.

02:40Deserto at the beginning was a dream, it was an idea.

02:44Many people thought that it was a wild idea, maybe too difficult to take off.

03:14Now it is a company with offices and production capacity in Mexico,

03:43but also in Europe.

03:46One of the things that made me the most happy was how we were connecting a cactus farm in Mexico

03:54with the most prestigious fashion brands.

03:58It's connecting two very distant worlds.

04:01The feeling when we see our materials being used by recognized brands, it's amazing.

04:07It's a moment when we realize that all the challenges and all the hard work has paid off.

04:15It means that the material is successful and that it meets the highest standards that could be demanded by these brands.

04:26But also seeing people loving the products, it's very gratifying.

04:31Deserto could be seen as a way of innovation, a way of working with scarce resources to create something with high value.

04:43My hope is that Deserto can keep on growing awareness in the industry

04:50that sustainable materials and practices are not only a wish or premium but a norm

04:59and that cactus is teaching us that just as it can grow in arid conditions,

05:04we can also make isolated communities prosperous.

05:10Being an entrepreneur is very challenging.

05:13It requires a lot of faith, inspiration and cooperation.

05:30When you don't have the tools, invent them.

05:33Encourage the new generations and entrepreneurs to knock on doors.

05:37Sometimes the shame of not doing it is what closes it.

05:41Everything is worth it. Say, I have nothing to lose.

05:43Knock on the door.

05:59Deserto.

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