Animal-Free Snakeskin Handbag Marks Debut from Upcycled Arda Biomaterials & BEEN London in a Benchmark for Fashion
UK upcycled materials startup Arda Biomaterials and sustainable brand BEEN London announce the launch of their first product: a snakeskin-type handbag crafted with an animal- and plastic-free leather-like material called New Grain. Arda’s New Grain, described as an extraordinary next-generation material, is developed from spent grain from breweries, sourced locally from London’s Bermondsey Beer Mile — once a leather tanning district. This launch marks New Grain’s first use of an external product, paving the way for its commercial scalability. The handbag, a version of BEEN’s bestselling MILLAIS bag, will be part of a future collection that includes wallets, laptop cases, and more bag styles. Genia Mineeva, the founder of BEEN London, emphasised the partnership’s role in pioneering sustainable fashion. She added, “As a brand making premium …