In episode 195, Kestrel welcomes Umberto De Marco, the founder of sustainable footwear brand, YATAY, to the show. In addition to his work building sneaker brand YATAY, Umberto is the president of eco-leather giant and family business Coronet.
“What I’ve been doing since I started working in the family company — I had a mission: trying to change a material that has always been just a simple, cheap alternative of leather — trying to evolve this material in a more sustainable and durable one.”On this week’s show, Umberto shares more on how he grew up in the leather alternatives industry, with his father being a pioneer in ‘eco-leathers’. When he joined the family business, Umberto was focused on finding more sustainable alternatives to the poly-based leathers they were offering.
Also, Umberto shares more on his own company YATAY, and how they are working to further close the loop in their manufacturing, so eventually, every component of the shoe can be recycled and put back into future shoes.
Being that YATAY and Coronet are based in Milan, Italy, Umberto shares more on how COVID-19 has impacted his work and what he thinks lies ahead for the fashion industry-at-large.
The below thoughts, ideas + organizations were brought up in this chat:
70% of the electricity used for the production at Coronet’s facilities comes from solar panels.
At Coronet, they started an incentive program for their workers, where all the money that is saved from their efforts in reducing waste in the manufacturing process is given back to the workers at the end of each year.
YATAY’s shoe box converts into a backgammon board game, as a way to reduce the waste that comes with packaging. Also, they include a little bag made from excess bio-based leather, complete with checkers inside.
YATAY Forest, on the back of each pair of shoes, there is a code — when a shopper enters it on the website, they can select what type of tree they’d like to plant in YATAY’s “forest” in Kenya, and then they can monitor their tree and stay up to date on how it’s growing and how much CO2 it absorbs. Also, the shopper will be advised on when their tree has absorbed enough CO2 to offset the production of their shoes.
More on the materials in YATAY’s shoes >S02 Episode 82 | PROJECT JUST SEAL OF APPROVAL + RIZ BOARDSHORTS
S02 Episode 81 | ACCOMPANY + FUSING AESTHETICS WITH ETHICS
S02 Episode 80 | HELSINKI FASHION WEEK
S02 Episode 79 | AGNES MULJADI, THE VEGAN BALLERINA
S02 Episode 78 | PATAGONIA'S WORN WEAR + MAKING MENDING MAINSTREAM
S02 Episode 77 | CELIA B + BRINGING COLOR TO OUR WARDROBES
S02 Episode 76 | MIADONNA, CONFLICT-FREE DIAMONDS + LUXURY FROM LABS
S02 Episode 75 | C&A FOUNDATION + COLLABORATION
S02 Episode 74 | MITSCOOTS OUTFITTERS + EVOLVING THE 1FOR1 MODEL
S02 Episode 73 | SLOW FACTORY, FASHION + POLITICS
S02 Episode 72 | BACK BEAT RAGS, AFFORDABILITY + SUSTAINABLE FASHION
S02 Episode 71 | TOAD&CO + KEEPING PEOPLE IN THE TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE
S02 Episode 70 | SWEDISH STOCKINGS + CHANGING THE HOSIERY INDUSTRY
S02 Episode 69 | OP SHOP TO RUNWAY + REDEFINING REUSED STYLE
#BTS with Good Support + Conscious Chatter
#BTS with Good Support + Conscious Chatter
S02 Episode 68 | CLARE PRESS + THE WARDROBE CRISIS
S02 Episode 67 | MOLLY BERRY, LUNA ZORRO + THE ARTISAN AGENDA
S02 Episode 66 | NOT JUST A LABEL
S02 Episode 65 | REMAKE + CONNECTIVE HUMAN STORIES
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