Fashion Designer Showcases Cruelty-Free Alternative To Down On Runway

Fashion designer Genaro Rivas showcased several new outfits featuring a cruelty-free alternative to down on the runway at a recent show.

The designer’s new “State of Impact” collection featured BioPuff, a bulrush-based insulation from biomaterials company Ponda. Spitalfields Market in London hosted the UK premiere of the State of Impact capsule at the end of July.

Rivas used Ponda’s BioPuff in four different designs within his latest menswear collection, along with several other cutting-edge sustainable materials. Ponda grows the bulrushes for its insulation in restored wetlands, providing the fashion industry with an ethical, sustainable alternative to animal and oil-based options.

“We’re proud that BioPuff featured alongside innovations from Banofi Leather, BioFluff, LEMAR, and Amphico, demonstrating how collaboration across the materials ecosystem can help shape a more sustainable future for fashion,” the company said. “Together, these partnerships show that craftsmanship, scientific innovation, and material research don’t just complement each other – they can redefine what contemporary luxury looks and feels like.⁠”

As reported by Dealroom, Ponda has said that its BioPuff has up to 88 percent lower embedded carbon than traditional goose down. It is also cruelty-free, whereas the down industry often subjects birds to the painful and bloody practice of live plucking.

Ponda to lead UK government’s £2.35 million sustainable wetland farming project

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Also in July, the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) awarded £2.35 million for a Ponda-led, 30-hectare site that will demonstrate how sustainable wetland farming can generate both environmental and economic value.

The project, which is also supported by Liverpool John Moores University, Finance Earth, Lancashire Wildlife Trust, J&K Barnard Farms, and the British outdoor clothing brand Berghaus, is part of DEFRA’s ongoing Farming Innovation Programme.

Finance Earth has estimated that the project, which could produce roughly three tonnes of bulrush per hectare, could become profitable within 12 months.

Fundraising, wetland farming, and funding peatland restoration

Photo shows some of the team behind Ponda, the Bristol-based biomaterials company behin BioPuff, a cruelty-free alternative to down insulation made from bulrushes. Fashion designer Genaro Rivas recently showcased outfits featuring the cruelty-free alternative to down during a show in London — Ponda The team behind Ponda founded the company in 2020, and recently raised $2.4 million in seed funding

Earlier this year, Ponda raised $2.4 million (£1.77 million) in seed funding to expand the business and expand its wetland farming network across Europe. The Bristol-based company also launched a crowdfunding campaign that currently sits at £1,414,725, 101 percent of its initial target. Ahluwalia, Sheep Inc, Stella McCartney, and Berghaus have featured Ponda’s BioPuff in their products.

Speaking at the time, Julian Ellis-Brown, Ponda’s CEO and co-founder, said, “Every jacket filled with BioPuff does not just avoid emissions. It directly funds peatland restoration, one of the planet’s most powerful carbon sinks.”

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