Sylven New York, a leader in the high-end sustainable footwear movement, is expanding its line of luxury shoes with the brand’s first-ever Italian-made apple and coconut sneaker: The Mel. The sneaker, made of apple leather, coconut husks, and a natural rubber sole, is a celebratory introduction to the brand’s decision to pivot from offering both vegan and responsible leather styles to committing to 100% vegan and plant-based materials by the end of 2021.
Releasing on Earth Day, as well as Sylven Founder Casey’s birthday, April 22, 2021, this exciting evolution of cutting-edge plant-based materials will be offered on the brand’s website, sylvennewyork.com along with digitally-focused partners Garmentory, Verishop, and Immaculate Vegan. Apple Leather, a bio-based leather alternative made using organic apple waste from Tyrol, Italy, has long been a favorite for the brand as well as its consumers. With this new sneaker, Sylven adds lactae hevea (a natural and renewable rubber), as well as coconut husks to its list of natural – and often edible – materials. The Mel will retail for $275 and is available in two colorways with contrasting details. An ode to apples, the white colorway will be accented with red. Evoking the new use of coconuts, the black colorway will feature natural contrast stitching.
The shift towards veganism mirrors the Founder and Creative Director’s personal transition deeper into sustainability by experiencing the vegan journey for herself. She realized how interconnected plant-based living is with our wardrobe choices and diet and is committed to minimizing her impact on the planet through reducing her use of leather, meat, and dairy. Innovation and the rise of new plant-based materials have also allowed Sylven New York to commit to producing 100% vegan and sustainable luxury footwear where the brand was previously met with roadblocks. The brand’s vision now fully aligns with its current partner, Vegan Fashion Week, the leading ethical fashion platform paving the way for the future of fashion by syncing sustainability and ethics.
To commemorate the launch, Sylven New York is partnering with Chrissy Tracey, Jamaican-American sustainability advocate and Bon Appétit Magazine’s first vegan chef. As the face of the launch, Chrissy has developed a custom vegan recipe featuring the sneaker’s two main “ingredients,” apple and coconut.
“We couldn’t have found a better partner for this launch than Chrissy. We set out to identify someone who could reinforce our focus on veganism, sustainability, and of course, food. But beyond that, Chrissy perfectly embodies our ethos of being serious about a cause without taking yourself too seriously.” said Casey Dworkin, Founder and Creative Director of Sylven New York.
To view the collection, and for more information, visit: https://www.sylvennewyork.com
About Sylven New York
Sylven New York is an artisan, women’s footwear brand that combines its female Founder and Creative Director’s sustainable mindset with her passion for impeccable and purposeful shoe design. Handmade in Italy, using a cutting-
edge combination of bio-based, renewable, recyclable, organic, and biodegradable materials, Sylven New York footwear lives at the nexus of luxury craftsmanship and sustainable innovation. The brand currently offers both 100%
vegan and responsible leather options, set to transition to become fully plant-based by the end of 2021.
