“Having a supportive community is crucial to starting a successful business. I feel so grateful that as an entrepreneur, I have been so supported by UT Austin in bringing attention to issues I am passionate about and enabling me to create a product in line with my values. The Kendra Scott WEL Institute has offered me incredible encouragement and resources over the past year that has allowed me to bring this concept to reality. Thank you so much for everything KSWELI + UT Austin!”
Emily Silver, May 2021
Emily Silver
Introducing fruitleatherNYC, an consumer goods company disrupting the animal leather industry one bracelet at a time!
About fruitleatherNYC
In Spring of 2020, I had the opportunity to study abroad at London College of Fashion. During this time, I spent tons of time in the fabric library, exploring sustainable materials made from a variety of resources. When I was sent home from London due to COVID-19, I began thinking about the leather industry and why more companies are not utilizing the vegan leathers that I saw in the fabric library. With this thought, fruitleatherNYC was born.
My first step in bringing fruitleatherNYC to life was sourcing materials to make the product. I sourced vegan leathers made from pineapples, mangos, cacti, grapes, and wine corks and quality-tested them based on water proofness, durability, hand feel, and cost.
After several months, I fell in love with a vegan leather made from upcycled waste from apple juice production. This material is called AppleSkin. AppleSkin is a waterproof material that feels like leather and looks like leather, but is good for our environment and cruelty free.
What makes fruitleatherNYC unique is we offer vegan leather jewelry. In the United States, there are no other vegan leather jewelry companies that offer a product like ours. fruitleatherNYC will turn 1 year old on March 23rd, 2022. There have been many learning experiences along the way, from raising funds to finding a manufacturer to bringing the product to stores to establishing a social media presence. I am excited to continue experiencing the thrills of being an entrepreneur as fruitleahterNYC continues to grow.
fruitleatherNYC
Website:
Industry:
Consumer Goods
Mission:
Disrupt the animal leather industry one bracelet at a time!
Year Founded:
2021
