Modern Meadow and MAES Paris Announce Collaboration on Handbag Made with Biomaterials

September 10, 2024

NUTLEY, NJ, September 10, 2024Modern Meadow, a creator of innovative, environmentally-friendly biomaterials whose mission is to enable the world to transition to sustainable materials, today announced its collaboration with MAES Paris on the M1_06 Biofabbrica handbag in black. MAES Paris is a luxury leather goods company using innovative and sustainable materials in its handbags and accessories. This “mini” version of its first M1_01 handbag, the M1_06, is made from MAES Paris’ third vegan material, M_MAT_biofabbrica, and leverages Modern Meadow’s proprietary protein and biopolymer blend platform, Bio-Alloy™.

“This is a valuable step forward in sustainability for Modern Meadow, MAES Paris and the luxury fashion industry,” said David Williamson, PhD, president and chief operating officer of Modern Meadow. “The environmental cost of luxury goods weighs heavily on customers and manufacturers alike. By developing alternatives to traditional materials that both perform well and have a smaller footprint, we all benefit.”

Modern Meadow’s Bio-Alloy serves as the platform for each of the company’s products that are comprised of plant-based proteins and biopolymers. For the collaboration with MAES Paris, Modern Meadow provided Bio-Tex™, a leather-like material built with Bio-Alloy. Bio-Tex has a lower environmental cost than traditional leather, but delivers the same look and feel, as seen in the M1_06 Biofabbrica. Through its multiple biomaterial platforms, including BIO-VERA™, Modern Meadow is empowering designers to sustainably create high-end items that perform like leather and are supple with a vibrant color palette.

To be granted MAES Paris’ M_MAT qualification, M_MAT_biofabbrica had to demonstrate an exceptional sensory experience, prove as strong and resistant as leather and have the lowest possible impact on the planet. With its Bio-Alloy platform, Modern Meadow helped M_MAT_biofabbrica meet these requirements, especially in terms of flexing capacity. This criterion is a key element for MAES Paris’ handbags and accessories to ensure product durability.

“More than six years ago, Modern Meadow was one of the first bio-innovation companies we met,” said MAES Paris Founder, Romain Boubert. “The discussion we had back then played an important role in how we decided to shape the future of MAES Paris, and I am thrilled to turn it into a fruitful collaboration with the launch of M_MAT_biofabbrica. The technology developed by Modern Meadow with Bio-Tex offers a high-performance material, which combined with the craftsmanship of our workshops, allows us to further develop our innovative and sustainable French ‘Haute Maroquinerie’.”

The black M1_06 handbag represents the first product of Modern Meadow and MAES Paris’ collaboration, with additional developments underway. The handbag will be featured in the DOORS.NYC showroom at Paris Fashion Week, September 25-29.

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