Fossil Unveils New Eco Collection Featuring Cactus Leather Totes & Solar-Powered Watch

To celebrate Earth month, Fossil, a luxury brand of fashion watches and accessories launched a limited-edition solar-powered watch and a collection of bags that are created out of animal-free vegan leather developed by award-winning Spanish company Desserto.

As part of the U.S.-based Fossil’s commitment towards protecting the planet, the ‘Make Time For Good’ initiative that was launched back in 2019 is dedicated to having a positive impact on the environment through pro-planet materials, products, packaging, reducing the usage of water and carbon emissions.

The fashion house has unveiled two new sustainable products, one being the Limited-Edition LE Solar Watch, which is the second version of Fossil’s earlier solar watch. The watch comes with a rechargeable battery that can be fully charged after eight hours in the sun and will retain the charge for 3 months. The watch case is developed out of castor oil and the rPet strap is made using post-consumer plastic bottles.

Apart from reducing water and battery waste, the watch showcases all the most necessary features including a compass and world time function that gives wearers local times in 49 cities.

For its ‘Kier Cactus Leather Totes’, the brand collaborated with PETA-award-winning company Desserto that develops vegan leather out of organically grown cactus, a material that can be incorporated in the fashion, furniture, automotive, and aeronautical industry.

The plants require only rainwater and earth minerals to grow, which means the production process saves 7.5 litres of water, the equivalent of fifteen 500ml water bottles.

In a press release seen by Green Queen, Desserto co-founder Marte Cázarez said that he launched the company due to his personal experience with the impact that leather tanneries can have on the environment. “We sought to create a vegan alternative that leaves a lighter footprint while meeting our rigorous quality standards. Almost immediately, we decided to leave our jobs and dedicate the next two years to designing and creating a solution.”

Desserto cofounder Adrián López Velarde said of the partnership: “Since first introducing Desserto cactus leather to the world in 2019, we have continued to develop and educate others on our materials and sustainable processes. Today, we are proud to partner with brands like Fossil who share a vision of reducing their environmental impact through the use of eco-friendly materials.”

After witnessing the first-hand impact that tanneries can have on the environment, we sought to create a vegan alternative that leaves a lighter footprint while meeting our rigorous quality standards

Marte Cázarez, co-founder of Desserto

In addition to the production process being energy-efficient, Desserto does not use any herbicides or pesticides and the cactus’ trunk is left as is, which means that it can be used again since the leaves regenerate in about six to eight months.

EVP chief brand officer of Fossil, Steve Evans, said: “Over the course of the last two years, our teams have worked diligently to identify areas of our business that make the largest environmental impact and to chart the course towards meaningful change. The result is an index of commitments that we’ve established to leave a smaller footprint and better world for future generations. Some of these changes include: introducing more pro-planet materials like recycled stainless steel and litehide leather into our assortment, removing foam material from packaging, and moving to ensure all paper goods are made from a minimum of 80% recycled material.”

Apart from this, Fossil has switched to acquiring more than 90% of its leather for bags and other small goods from certified tanneries and claims to have saved 1.8 million gallons of water by producing 1.5 million square feet of eco-leather.

Some of these changes include: introducing more pro-planet materials like recycled stainless steel and litehide leather into our assortment, removing foam material from packaging, and moving to ensure all paper goods are made from a minimum of 80% recycled material

Steve Evans, EVP chief brand officer of Fossil

The bag collection has four color combinations: Moss, Wine, Black, and Brown and is priced at GBP£279 (approx. US$384). The Limited-Edition LE Solar Watch will be available to buy from April 22 and is priced at GBP£149 (approx. US$200).

Fossil’s announcement follows a similar one by Karl Lagerfeld, who having ditched animal skins and fur has created cruelty-free versions of its iconic K/Kushion bag made with Desserto’s vegan leather.

The Mexican material maker is collaborating with a wide range of brands, including Swiss clothing giant H&M, who incorporated Desserto’s leather in its debut collection Science Story in keeping with the group’s wider sustainability commitments.

Lead image courtesy of Desserto.