Growing vegan leather from coconut water

Dissatisfied with the lack of practical and stylish leather replacements, Susmith C. Suseelan, a product designer with years of experience as a papermaker, set out to make his own. With the help of Zuzana Gombosova, a designer and material researcher, they developed an environmentally and animal-friendly leather alternative called Malai, grown from bacterial cellulose and 100% vegan.

We caught up with Zuzana, to hear first-hand how the material came about and the future of this incredible fabric.