Next generation materials, a term often used for sustainable and ethical fiber alternatives, can often come from surprising natural raw materials. Many next-generation materials are about eliminating animal products, an alternative that the fashion world is increasingly embracing. However, Inversa hopes its alternative will resonate with people because it can solve an increasingly worrying problem.
Inversa’s exotic leather is made from lionfish, a highly invasive species that causes significant damage to coral reefs and biodiversity, particularly off the Florida coast in the Atlantic waters. Recently selected by the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA) as a finalist for the Ocean Resilience Innovation Challenge grant, the company started out as a food supplier for restaurants. In order to pay divers a premium for their lionfish harvest, the team expanded into leather production, which they hope will further increase demand from the fashion industry.
The start-up has already partnered with a number of brands, including Teton Leather Company, for which it supplies lionfish leather for clutches and watches, and P448, an Italian footwear brand, with which it has collaborated to create sustainable leather shoes.
Now, Inversa hopes its story will resonate with more global brands so it can achieve its goal of rebuilding the coral reef by further pushing back this species. FashionUnited spoke to three members of the Inversa team, co-founders CEO Aarav Chavda and COO Roland Salatino, and CMO Deepika Nagarajan to learn more about the lionfish problem and the company’s plan to save the oceans around Florida.
The Lionfish Dilemma
The three, who are passionate about diving themselves, have spoken at length about the rapidly deteriorating condition of coral reefs, something they have had to experience firsthand. “The lionfish are a real problem,” says Chavda. “We could watch the reef slowly die off, year after year, and it got to a point where I called Roland and said we had to do something about it.”
The species’ existence in Floridian waters is most likely due to humans releasing the animals into the wild, either by mistake or from home aquariums. The problems created by this species of fish stem from the fact that they have no natural predators, allowing them to reproduce at a rapid rate, killing up to 79 percent of young marine animals. This leads to an overgrown reef that is slowly dying off.
“We saw a lot of nonprofits and government organizations trying to help, but we all know the power of consumers to change the world and create one they want to live in,” Chavda said. “We wanted to find a way to produce a new leather material that would allow us to harness the power of the consumer to let the planet heal on its own terms.”
The use of fish leather is often thought of as an indigenous practice, and although the company does not use traditional resources and chemicals in its process, Chavda explained that this is the starting point from which the Inversa concept emerged. “That was the spark for the idea, so to speak,” he said, “we did a lot of research here.”
Regenerative from start to finish
Inversa prides itself on its near-net-zero production process, which, according to COO Roland Salatino, begins with the value principle of being fully regenerative from start to finish. “This applies to everything, including the way we get the lionfish, namely without bycatch,” emphasized Salatino. “The divers we work with only catch lionfish, there are no other fish caught in the process – which cannot be said for any other industry.”
The company is also careful with the tanning method, which uses less than 200 milliliters of water per hide, and with the dyeing and finishing of the material. “All of this is done with the idea that this product should make the planet a better place,” added Salatino.
The finished material is very thin, making it extremely versatile and flexible, allowing it to be used in many different applications. So far, clutches, watches and purses, among other things, have been made from it.
“That’s one of the pieces of feedback we’ve received time and time again from our customers – that they’re really excited about how versatile our leather is,” says CMO Nagarajan. “Often exotic leather is difficult because it’s so stiff and heavy, but this leather has all the advantages of an exotic – the strong texture, the beautiful appearance – but it’s so malleable that it can be used in a variety of products.”
According to the team, customer response has been consistently positive, with many as excited about the concept as they are. “What we’re doing here is that we’re standing together to rebuild coral reefs. It’s the first time you can hold something in your hands and say the world is better off because of this. This story is very good.”
The reaction of the public
While the team’s enthusiasm is contagious, it also sparks a hesitation that comes with launching this product – especially as many brands and consumers are increasingly turning away from animal-sourced materials.
Although animal welfare organizations like PETA recognize the drastic problems that invasive animals cause, there are often only a limited number of solutions that can be used to address the problem.
When asked by FashionUnited on the matter, PETA’s Director of Corporate Projects, Yvonne Taylor, responded that using animal skin in a product is no exception. She noted that it is “even more absurd when you consider that humans are being blamed for the existence of Florida’s lionfish population.” She therefore added that we have a duty to find a humane solution to the problem that does not involve the use of spear guns.
Despite the uncertainty, the team at Inversa has remained true to their message of creating only positive change for the environment, while still recognizing that this material will not please everyone. Nagarajan emphasized: “The core of our work is that it is a product of animal origin, but we are preserving the biodiversity of the animals. So with that in mind, we are committed to supporting indigenous life on the reef. That’s why we’re doing all this, because we want to preserve it for the future.”
To stay current on ethical and sustainable practices, Inversa has partnered with nonprofit organizations, many based in Florida, and marine biologists who provide ongoing advice and feedback to the team.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is among those who have worked closely with Inversa. The organization, which has been working with the leather company since early 2021, regularly hosts lionfish tournaments, which Inversa sponsors and buys off the catch to give divers an incentive to catch the invasive species. In a chat with Alex Fogg, the organization’s coastal resources manager, FashionUnited learned more about the impact of the invasive species and why it needs to be removed from the food chain quickly.
Fogg explained that the lionfish directly hunt or compete with other fish species, including commercially important fish species or those that keep the reef clean. Although the lionfish itself cannot be considered solely responsible for the collapse of coral reefs or the decline in fisheries, Fogg said it still has a major impact on these problems. Despite the benefits of capturing this menacing species, Fogg noted that criticism of their capture remains very strong.
“There have been many instances where people have questioned why we are catching these fish,” Fogg said. “In the end, there is either a lack of knowledge or understanding of the implications and why lionfish are an invasive species. But after we talk to them and explain the context to them, their attitude changes. They may still be opposed to eating the fish, but they are no longer opposed to the fish being caught.”
“There are many opportunities for divers to catch lionfish, use them elsewhere and help the ecosystem to fund their diving hobby. It’s a very sustainable option for restaurants and a cool story for a leather product,” said Fogg.
future aspirations
The Inversa team looks forward to a number of long-term partnerships and also hints at the possibility of expanding its process to other invasive species rampant in different parts of the world. “The lionfish is a huge problem and one of the most well-known, but it’s just one of thousands of other invasive species that are destroying ecosystems around the world,” Chavda said. “We are always trying to improve ourselves, our process, our effluent and our energy. We are very pleased that we can also switch our primary tannery to a bio-based tanning agent.”
Nagarajan echoes Chavda’s enthusiasm, noting that this is a good time for fish leather as the industry turns to more sustainable materials. “People are realizing that leather as a whole category needs alternatives. Now they are also starting to look specifically at exotic leather and are realizing that a very different type of alternative is needed. That’s exactly where we’re moving,” she said.
The Inversa team also announced that it plans to expand the initiatives in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a US scientific and regulatory agency that is a leader in controlling lionfish and other invasive species. The team is already working with the organization on business development and an incentive program, adding that there will be more news alongside NOAA in the future – another way to get its message across to a larger audience.
“While in this world everyone is striving to find leather alternatives that will nurture a ‘less-than’ mentality, and where eventually they might even get to net neutrality – for which I really applaud all those who are taking steps in that direction – are going we are moving towards a material that goes beyond net neutrality and is instead net positive. We are very proud of that,” concluded Salatino.
This article was previously published on FashionUnited.uk. Translation and editing: Barbara Russ