Aomori Prefecture, renowned for its apple production, has innovated a unique material from apple juice residue. Komoru, a company specializing in spatial design, has developed a semitransparent resin sheet named "Adam" as an alternative to leather. This material incorporates crushed dried apple skins and seeds, offering a sustainable and vegan option.
Komoru's inspiration stemmed from the growing popularity of non-animal leather sources in the fashion industry. However, most synthetic leather products lacked the distinctive characteristics of their original materials. Ryohei Koda, a Komoru representative, sought to create a material that retained an apple-related feature.
After consulting with cultural anthropologists and dyeing experts, Koda conceived the idea of capturing the "world of mahogany," a color resulting from oxidized apples. The mahogany-colored apple juice residue was combined with vinyl chloride resin to form Adam, symbolizing the inception of new material creation in the Tsugaru region.
The material's color varies, resembling pottery from a kiln, adding to its aesthetic appeal. The project team faced challenges in determining the optimal size of the crushed residue. Smaller particles enhanced strength but diminished the material's unique characteristics. After extensive trials, they settled on a size that imparted a glitter-like effect.
Adam is water-resistant and scratch-resistant, making it suitable for fashion accessories and table covers. Komoru's innovation not only provides a sustainable alternative to leather but also showcases the potential of utilizing agricultural byproducts in the creation of novel materials.