Gucci New Ace made with Demetra
June 25, 2021: Gucci, moving fast towards sustainability, has introduced Demetra, a new revolutionary luxury material that combines quality, softness, durability, and scalability with an environmentally conscious ideology. Three sneaker styles have been produced with Demetra to demonstrate the material's versatility.
Demetra is the result of two years of research and development by Gucci's technicians and artisans, and is the pinnacle of Gucci's desire to explore and revolutionize materials for the future. Named after the Greek goddess of agriculture and new harvest – Demeter – the material is formed completely in Italy in Gucci’s factory. Demetra utilises the same tanning techniques and procedures to achieve characteristics that give it a distinct, malleable, and robust performance, as well as a soft and opulent finish. Demetra's eco-innovation blends efficient processes with animal-free raw materials, predominantly derived from sustainable, renewable, and bio-based sources with over 77% plant based raw materials been used.
Gucci Rhyton made with Demetra
To put in a little more detail, Demetra is made of viscose and wood pulp compound sourced from sustainably managed forest; and bio-based polyurethane from renewable sources. Other compounds needed to guarantee quality and aesthetics have been used at a bare minimum, however, Gucci is researching to replace them with more sustainable elements.
“In our 100th anniversary year, Demetra is a new category of material that encapsulates Gucci’s quality and aesthetic standards with our desire to innovate, leveraging our traditional skills and know-how to create for an evolving future,” said Marco Bizzarri, President and CEO of Gucci.
Demetra, being a versatile, environmentally friendly material, can be used in a variety of product categories. Unlike the bulk of new materials being invented, there are no scalability or volume constraints, which might be a problem for brands looking for scale and quantity. Gucci will also make Demetra accessible to the fashion industry as a new material source that can be modified to create exclusive finishing, thus simplifying application and distinction.
Gucci Basket made with Demetra
The Gucci Basket, Gucci New Ace, and Gucci Rhyton sneakers are the first Gucci products to feature Demetra, that is used for the majority of the exterior and a portion of the linings. Organic cotton, recycled steel, and recycled polyester are among the other components.
Gucci Basket, specifically, has been launched in North America. It is a genderless sneaker with a unique identifying tag that is inspired by basketball. The style is available in three distinct color and fabric combinations worldwide, with a red, white, and blue colorway that is specific to North America.
The shoes have a distressed appearance, and vibrant color elements in mixed materials, such as blue soles, violet mesh tops, padded and ribbed orange backs that wrap around the ankles, and green laces, are incorporated into the distinctive design. On the tongues and outsides of the shoes, fluorescent rubber trim with House motifs, including the Interlocking G, is affixed.
Gucci Basket made with Demetra
A new game will debut on Gucci Arcade, the ever-growing digital environment where users can actively participate with the House's products and codes in unpredictable ways, to bring the shoes into a parallel virtual dimension. The game, titled Gucci Burst, places the Gucci Basket in a graphic environment of swirling geometric shapes, where time and space have their own will.
