ADRIANO DI MARTI

With the purpose of creating an alternative to animal leather, Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cázarez, both hailing from Mexico, developed a vegan alternative to leather made with nopal (a cactus), which they successfully showcased last October 2019 in Milan, Italy.

After two years of research and development, the creators  could finally finish marketable cactus based material as an alternative to leather in July 2019. Its trade name is Desserto®, and it has competitive features compared to animal or synthetic leather, like sustainability, performance and aesthetics. 

Adrian and Marte had the idea after working in the furniture, automotive and fashion industries where they identified that the problem of environmental pollution was very serious. As a result, they were genuinely interested in reducing environmental impact, so they decided to leave their jobs and start Adriano Di Marti, a company to focus on developing Desserto®, which nowadays is known as cactus or nopal vegan leather. 

Our mission as a company is to be at the forefront of innovation going beyond the needs of the leather goods market, offering high quality materials made with sustainable alternatives. All this,  with a vision of inclusion, impulsing students, entrepreneurs and companies involved with the objective of utilizing more sustainable materials since the change requieres participation of us all. 

Desserto®  is a highly sustainable plant based material as an alternative to leather made from cactus, often distinguished by its great softness at touch while offering a great performance for a wide variety of applications and complying with the most rigorous quality and environmental standards. The aim is to offer cruelty free, sustainable alternatives, without any toxic chemicals, phthalates and PVC. The result, Desserto® , the cactus material, is partially biodegradable and has the technical specifications required by the fashion, leather goods, luxury packaging and furniture industries. 

Deserttex® an automotive exclusive material which aim is to provide premium brands a highly sustainable cactus-based material which performs to the standards of the industry. 

Deserttex® is often distinguished by its great softness at touch, not only does it handle really well but the level of break in the material is excellent, the substance is correct and it also has a degree of roundness and spring which you would normally only find in leather where the collagen acts in this way.  www.deserttex.com

Tequila production has contributed to the agricultural and industrial development in Mexico, especially in the State of Jalisco. This innovation expands the economic benefits of the region and the people involved in the tequila value chain by creating conditions for economic development to thrive in harmony with the environment and society.Through this project, the agave- tequila production chain has the opportunity to join the fashion industry in a sustainable and responsible way through a plant-based alternative to leather which features the by-product of the tequila industry.