Maisie Williams has stepped into the world of accessories. With French designer Coperni, the Game of Thrones star has launched a line of apple leather bags.
Williams’ vegan line is a more environmentally friendly version of the brand’s signature oval Swipe Bags, which are usually made of leather. The brand, however, has chosen apple skin for the new designs, which were released last month in both standard and mini cross-body styles. While Coperni has not revealed who is supplying the apple leather, it has stated that it is sourced from Italy, where a company called Frumat produces plant-based leather from leftover apples from the juice industry.
The bags are accessorized with mini pins inspired by fruit label stickers, in keeping with the fruit theme.
“I have loved making this collaboration with Coperni,” Williams wrote on Instagram when announcing the partnership last month. “I hope you love the bags and I hope this pushes more people to both shop and produce with materials that contribute towards a more sustainable future.”
The actor is passionate about environmental issues and frequently discusses the climate crisis on social media. She attended COP26 earlier this year and spoke with David Attenborough and Indigenous activists. In April, she took to Instagram to announce her new role as H&M’s Global Sustainability Ambassador.
Maisie Williams isn’t the first eco-conscious celebrity to collaborate on vegan fashion. This year has seen a rise in celebrity collaborations, such as Billie Eilish’s vegan Air Jordans, Jason Momoa’s algae-based vegan sneakers, and Adidas’ first vegan football boots, designed in collaboration with Stella McCartney and Paul Pogba. H&M debuted its vegan Co-Exist collection, which features cactus leather, earlier this year, signaling a surge in animal-free leather alternatives. Mushroom leather has become increasingly popular, appearing in a Stella McCartney collection as well as some vegan-friendly automobiles.
Coperni’s website currently has Williams’ apple-based collection available.
While animal-derived leather is used extensively by fashion brands to create accessories and clothing, the material has a negative impact on the environment. A recent report linked Amazon deforestation to several mainstream brands, including H&M. In addition, the industry contributes to land degradation and water pollution (especially during the toxic tanning process).
Plants, on the other hand, are a far more sustainable option, and more brands are opting for them over leather. In April, Karl Lagerfeld debuted cactus leather bags, Adidas used mushrooms to create a new version of its Stan Smith sneakers, and Nike’s Happy Pineapple collection featured pineapples. Some brands have even gone further. Ganni recently announced that leather would be completely banned. Instead, the Danish label will collaborate on a Mushroom leather collection with Bolt Threads.
Coperni’s website currently has Williams’ apple-based collection available.
