The VEGEA process: from grape waste to wine bag

The material VEGEA

VEGEA is a plant-based leather alternative made from grape waste skins, seeds, stems, left over from Italian winemaking. Blended with grape seed oil polymer and non-toxic polyurethane, it creates a durable and textured material. Our bag design takes inspiration from VEGEA’s origins and structure, subtly echoing the shape of a wine bottle.

A genuine leather alternative

The 'VEG' in VEGEA refers to the vegetable origin of the materials used, GEA comes from the Latin Gaea or Mother Earth. The name of the company thus symbolizes its twofold mission: to develop new materials of plant origin that have a positive impact on our planet.

VEGEA was founded in 2016 in Milan, the heart of the Italian fashion scene and, therefore, the perfect place to start making this industry more sustainable. The founders are three young entrepreneurs: Valentina, Gianpero and Fransceso. A fascinating team with a background in chemistry and architecture. The trio aims to change the world of leather goods while tackling a waste problem in another notorious Italian industry, winegrowing. In 2017 they were awarded the Global Change Award for their concept. They also won a growth grant from the European Union.

Design inspiration

Our latest bag reflects the material itself. Inspired by the origin and texture of VEGEA, the form recalls a wine bottle—simple and functional, yet rooted in its source. We did not aim to imitate animal leather but to let VEGEA speak visually through shape, feel and intent. The result is straightforward, respectful and honest, much like the material it is built from.

From juicy grapes to vegetable leather

Thanks to their background in chemistry, the founders of VEGEA discovered that these three raw materials are the ideal components of a wear-resistant product. After all, the stems, skins and seeds’ remnants supply fine fibres . Bonded together by a polymer extracted from the oil of the grape seed, an elastic, supple, soft and at the same time firm and textured product is born.

In short, the making process goes as follows: After the grapes have been picked and pressed (once a year), the seeds, stems and skins are dried to obtain a biologically stable product. The stems and skins are then separated from the seeds. Oil is extracted from the seeds. The oil serves as the base material for a polymer, in this case, a product comparable to resin. The polymer gives VEGEA its elasticity, flexibility and softness. The remnants of the seeds, stems and skins are first steamed and then ground into a fine, fibre-rich powder that gives VEGEA its firmness and texture. The powder is then mixed back with the grape seed polymer. This mixture can be poured on a carrier, such as cotton, in the desired thickness after which it is dried. The result is a vegetable leather: VEGEA. Pigment may be added during the mixing to obtain colour. Finish, thickness and texture can also vary. This way, VEGEA is able to offer a range of interesting alternatives to leather.

No pity party

The environmental benefit of this product is multidimensional. For starters, VEGEA has the ambition to drastically reduce the use of both animal and petroleum-based synthetic leather-. As a result, the environmental impact of both livestock farming and the extraction and processing of petroleum indirectly decreases. Additionally, VEGEA captures CO2 that was once in our atmosphere and makes it harmless. How? Plants, including grapevines, use CO2 to grow and store it in their tissues, including in the grape stems, skin and seeds. After harvesting and pressing wine grapes, enormous quantities of those three raw materials are left over. They are usually burned as a waste product, releasing the CO2 back into the atmosphere and contributing to global warming. VEGEA ensures that the seeds, stems and skin are no longer burned but transformed into a sustainable product.

Therefore, we can think of a bag in VEGEA as a locker that safely stores CO2 so that it is no longer harmful to our planet.

In short

By choosing VEGEA, we step away from fossil-based synthetics and animal skins. We use scent and substance of place rather than imitation. What remains is a transparent design story: from vineyard leftovers to crafted bag—rooted in material, function and respect.