Something fishy about new bags
2007-06-26 11:37
New York - There's something fishy
about a new line of designer cosmetic bags and wallets.
Although they look and feel like leather, the fashion
accessories are meant to appeal to environmentally conscious
buyers because they are not made from the hides of animals but
the skins of fish such as salmon, stingray and tilapia.
"The first benefit is that it's eco conscious because it's
derived from the seafood industry. But it is very distinctive in
that it does have a natural texture and geometric pattern," said
Lisa Strauss, of Col De Mar, which makes sea leather
accessories.
'Fish skin normally discarded'
Andrew Dent, the vice president of Material Connexion which
is a global resource for new materials, said people are starting
to be more interested in waste products because of concerns
about sustainability.
"The new types of fish leather from fish such as salmon is a
more sustainable alternative to wild fish leather we have seen
previously such as shark skin and eel skin, mainly because the
salmon is farmed for food," he said.
"The fish skin is normally discarded as waste, but we are
actually finding a good use for it in things like fashion and
accessories," he added.
'Smells like leather'
Using fish skins is not new. Dent believes it has been
around for centuries. But modern-day design companies are
starting to realise the value of it and consumers are also
showing an interest.
"It smells like leather. I think that it's better that they
can find something more abundant like fish rather than to use
the skin of snakes and alligators and other animals that are not
as abundant as fish," said New York resident Kyle Toorie.
Dent believes demand for fish-skin products will grow. In
addition to accessories and bags fish skin has even been used to
make a bikini.
"It is new type of leather that offers designers something
different," he said. "In the last year we must have picked up
four or five sources of fish skin. There is obviously demand for
it now."
- Reuters