After making a name for himself as a lead designer at top fashion brands like Jimmy Choo and Burberry, Alfredo Pīferi is launching his namesake vegan luxury shoe collection.
Pīferi’s designs feature sustainable materials like recycled nylon and polyester. One pair of boots is made with recycled bottles. A unique sandal design comes with a detachable ruffled socquette made with recycled polyester and recycled lurex.
In an Instagram post, the designer said his brand “embodies the feminine and surreal dream that always inspires [my] creations.”
Pīferi left his position as head designer at Jimmy Choo last year to launch his new collection.
“I started Pīferi with the idea of creating a product with a purpose. It’s not just about shoes, but more about what they stand for,” Pīferi said in his London showroom last week, per Footwear News.
“All my shoes are leather-free… I think it’s really what the future holds for us,” he added.
London department store Harrods will launch Pīferi exclusively in May with a month-long pop-up.
“Alfredo Pīferi’s first collection caught my eye as it’s feminine, sensual and fun. He has created a luxury vegan collection that stands out as his sculpture heel, fun pink details and anklet socks are divine,” Alberto Oliveros, Kurt Geiger’s GMM who oversees Harrods, told Footwear News.
Fashion Brands Opt for Sustainable Materials
The fashion industry uses large amounts of land and water in order to create pieces. It’s also highly pollutive, making up 10 percent of all annual global greenhouse gas emissions.
As a result, more fashion brands are turning to vegan sustainable materials in an effort to reduce the fashion industry’s impact on the environment.
Earlier this year H&M launched a vegan leather collection made from wine waste. The collection also uses coffee grounds as a dye source.
Nike released a new vegan shoe collection made from recycled trash — including recycled plastic bottles and factory waste. According to Nike, the new “Space Hippie” sneakers have the lowest carbon footprint scores of any shoe created by the brand so far.
“Space Hippie is an exploratory footwear collection inspired by life on
Mars — where materials are scarce and there is no resupply mission,” notes the company. “Created from scraps, or “space junk,” Space Hippie is the result of sustainable practices meeting radical design.“
