Toulouse: they make leather from grape marc
Julien Houssiaux and Rodolphe Mondin created their start-up on the transformation of grape pomace into leather. An ethical way of recovering this wine waste.
The idea may seem absurd and yet it is chosen made with the start-up (mondin.io) of Julien Houssiaux and Rodolphe Mondin, both 21 years old and graduates of Toulouse Business School (TBS). “The second year of TBS studies, I followed a course to develop a project in Barcelona focused on social impact,” enthuses Rodolphe Mondin. It was there that I reconnected with Julien, a childhood friend with whom I founded the start-up Mondin. “
These studies will also lead the two friends to the world of wine and the transformation of grape marc. “This idea is simply place,” continues Rodolphe. We have both always been concerned about the environment. The animal cause is involved in this subject. At our level, we have always tried to respect good practices such as recycling. Or, wearing leather objects (shoes, watch straps, etc.) seemed incompatible with this state of mind. A solution was possible: imitation leather ”.
Problem: this material is used quickly. “Hence our research on grape marc, the properties of which we knew after several stages in the wine world”.
“Luxury brands are very well known in this alternative market”.
Quickly, Julien and Rodolphe realize that the grape marc, wine waste, is very little valued: “Recovered, it is either used in fuel, or in the manufacture of brandy or for animal feed. Faced with this observation, we wanted to modify it in a more noble matter ”. After several years of testing, Rodophe and Julien have just been approached by a few luxury brands (Cartier, Vuitton) and a Swiss watchmaking house. “Matched with polymers, derived from plants, grape pomace gives a supple material which can very well replace leather resulting from the transformation of animal skin. Luxury brands are very well known in this alternative market. They know that traceability and ethics are topical, the aspects more and more demanded by their customers ”, end the duo conscious of the way still to go to develop, finance and give a true future to this great initiative.