iandé Ethical Luxury Handbag

Discarded fish skin turned into handbags

iandé is a brand of luxury women’s handbags made from discarded fish skin. Our mission is to give a new life to disposed fish skin, creating a sustainable and multifunctional luxury handbag without causing unnecessary harm to the environment.

In the Amazon, the waste derived from fish skin, considered unsuitable for consumption, reaches up to 183 thousand tons per year. The biological pollution caused by the fish skin waste not only harms the environment but also the lives of the local communities. Diarrhea, leptospirosis and skin diseases are among the diseases registered by Brazilian health agencies in the Amazon.

Pirarucu fish is commonly consumed in Brazil and is one of the largest freshwater fishes on the planet. Native to the Amazon river basin, the Pirarucu benefits the ecosystem and the communities that live off fishing, a non-predatory activity that plays an important economic role.

iandé? What does it mean?

The word iandé means «we, our» in Tupi-Guarani, a native language of the indigenous communities from the Amazon. This represents precisely the values behind our brand – We work together with local communities from the Amazon and the best in Italian craftsmanship to ensure a production of luxury products with a large emphasis on responsibility. We pride ourselves in delivering high quality products and at the same time promoting an awareness of fish leather as a sustainable resource.

Your support is essential to our project!

Your support will help us: To contribute to the reduction of fish waste in the environment; To offer a second income alternative to the Amazonian communities; To promote the work of small Italian artisans; To propose unique pieces with impeccable quality.   Each bag is 100% handmade, each detail was thought to offer a unique product for people who like fashion but also want to know how the product was made and by whom it was made.

iandé’s first creation calls Niara Bag: The name Niara in tupi-guarani refers to «a woman in pursuit of great achievements». The beautiful female name has a strong symbolism, reflecting the values from the indigenous culture and representing our Brazilian identity.

September - October 2018 : crowdfunding campaign; November - December 2018 : Production; February - March 2019: Shipping. ​