Over the course of this year, we wrote on Green Start-Up about many startups and we also presented some innovative ideas on the fashion front, as well.

Fruit-based shoes help you save the planet while looking trendy

One of the fashion companies that we checked out is Lerins, which was founded by an experienced entrepreneur in this industry, Daniel Rubin, who has another footwear brand founded some three decades ago.

Willing to make a difference in terms of sustainability, Daniel's team was looking at alternative materials to replace natural leather when they found out that grape-skin leather can be just as effective.

Photo source: Lerins

This is how the new sneaker came to be, an otherwise normal looking piece of footwear that will blend in effortlessly in your wardrobe and, according to the founder, it is just as strong as any traditional pair of shoes.

Find out more about Lerins' story in our detailed story article.

Fish-based leather, a life-saver for marine ecosystems

When thinking about sustainable fashion, replacing bovine leather with a fish alternative might not sound like the ideal solution, but hear us out.

Inversa is one startup that knows how dangerous invasive fish species can be for other marine wildlife, which is why the company has taken it upon itself to fight the invasive lionfish.

Lionfish can be dangerous for ecosystems, since a single one can consume as much as 79% of the young creatures within five weeks of entering a new marine system.

Besides saving vulnerable marine wildlife, using lionfish-based leather can be more sustainable for the environment, as well.

This is due to the fact that the process doesn't involve the usual grazing that farmers have to do with cattle, for example, which not only can degrade soil, but it can also release vast amount of methane in the atmosphere, a dangerous greenhouse gas.

Aarav Chavda, co-founder and CEO at Inversa, says that each lionfish hide can save as many as 70.000 native reef fish, which is why fast action is required.

If you're curious to find out more about Inversa's mission to save marine ecosystems, check out our story article.

Don't wear it? Hand it over

Circularity is very important in fashion, as sometimes, people can get bored with the clothes that they purchase very quickly, which is why it is important to resell or give them away.

Vintello is a Romanian-based fashion resale platform that took off this year in March and it plans to make circularity in fashion easier.

Photo source: Vintello Facebook

Diana Enăchescu, one of Vintello's founders, says that "sustainability is one of Vintello pillars, as we are contributing directly to the environment protection by recirculating such fashion items. Producing a new fashion item consumes on average 3.000 liters of water, according to Vestiaire Collective. Reusing it saves 82% of its carbon footprint."

She also believes that the global fashion resale market will double its value by 2025 and Romania has great growth potential in this regard.

You can check out Vintello's detailed story on Green Start-Up.