No matter how much you love oranges, have you ever thought of making a bag out of them? The idea may sound outrageous; but a Jordanian food artist has done it. You read that right! Food artist and molecular gastronomist Omar Sartawi has created a luxury handbag with orange peels. Surprised? Omar's creation is a high-end luxury product that is also environmentally friendly. In a video released by Reuters, Omar explains the aim and the process he follows to make leather out of orange peels. He said, "One of the things I am currently working on is processing the leather of fruits and vegetables in new ways, to be used as environmentally friendly material, to turn it into luxury brands."
First, Omar handpicks fresh oranges from a local market. "I buy oranges from here. I take its peel and start processing it through different stages," he states. For him, it takes almost two weeks to process the orange peels and make the material workable. "Later on, I take it to what we call 'digital fabrication', to come up with the design we want, and cut it using a laser," he added. Then Omar flattens the material so that the rough surface does not cause problems while designing.
Orange peels aren't the only organic materials that Omar has worked with. He has also made face masks and tents out of aubergine leather.
"We can create extravagant products with modern designs through available technologies," said Omar during the interview. He has used the process in the fields of fashion, accessories, high-end bags and furniture.
The video has received over 62, 300 views on Twitter. Here is the clip:
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Omar also posted about the bag on his Instagram page. He described the materials used and wrote in the caption, "Orange peels leather on Gold Plated Brass with a hand-carved Malachite Stone." He worked on the bag with Bahraini designer Noof AlShekar.
Omar also shared a video where he is giving the final touches to the orange-peel bag. Watch it here:
The collaboration over this bag took almost a year's experimentation. In an Instagram post, Omar wrote, "After a year of trial and error, finally the “Orange Peels Leather Bag” is coming together beautifully."
Users are floored by the innovation. Some have asked where they can purchase Omar's faux leather products.
Another suggested a brand name, "Citrus."
What's your thoughts on this unique leather bag? Do let us know in the comments below.