Started as a research project in 2015, everything at Malai starts with coconuts. The team at Malai works alongside Southern India’s coconut farmers and processing units to collect ‘waste’ coconut water, which then undergoes a process at a small manufacturing unit in Kerala to produce Malai—a flexible, durable material comparable to leather or paper. In a discussion with Fibre2Fashion, Malai Co-founder and Director Zuzana Gombosova talks about Malai products, business model, etc.
Several companies are making textiles and leather from different items like banana, pineapple, orange pulp and cactus. Do you think these stand any chance to replace the current use of cotton, polyester and synthetic leather?
The correct question would be to ask whether synthetic leather, conventionally grown cotton and polyester can stand any change in times of rise of new, ecologically superior materials such as banana, pineapple, orange pulp, etc.
How did Malai start? Who came up with the idea?
Malai started as a research project of two people: Susmith - a product designer and maker from Kerala (a province in the South of India) and me - a material researcher and designer from Slovakia.
We met in Mumbai in 2015, by which time I had already been working for over three years on bacterial cellulose as a material. I was keen to explore the potential in India for employing a traditional bacterial-cellulose growth process used in the Philippines, where ‘Nata de Coco’ (the Filipino version of this substance) is an important part of the food industry.
The name of Susmith’s home region can be literally translated as ‘the land of coconuts’, which given the circumstances, was a good sign!
In 2017, we moved to a coconut-cultivating region in Southern India and began working full-time to develop Malai and to consider in what context this new material could be applied. We chose to target it towards the sustainable fashion market, because of its aesthetic appeal and with a view that fashion is the second most polluting industry, beaten only by oil.
Today, Malai consists of a team of several people working in production, R&D, marketing, sales and design. We collaborate with an array of experts from microbiology, material science, chemistry, mechanical engineering and business development.
Though our headquarters are in Cochin (India), we also operate from Slovakia.
What are the products of Malai? Is it just vegan leather?
Malai is a flexible, durable material comparable to leather or paper. At the current stage of development Malai is mostly recommended and used for making accessories. However, we have collaborated with an array of designers and brands testing the material for footwear, furniture, automotive and other industries.
How is Malai created? Is the process patented?
Malai is made from entirely organic and sustainable bacterial cellulose, grown on agricultural waste sourced from the coconut industry in Southern India. We work with the local farmers and processing units, collecting their waste coconut water (which would otherwise be dumped, causing damage to the soil) and re-purposing it to feed the bacteria’s cellulose production. One small coconut-processing unit can collect 4000 litres of water per day, which we can use to grow 25 kg of cellulose.
Yes, we are in the process of obtaining an IP.
Besides Kerala, which are the places where plenty of raw material is available for creating Malai products?
Any tropical country where there is availability of coconuts and bananas.
The life of Malai footwear and bags is less compared to other products available in the market. How do you plan to address this?
I am not planning to address it. We are making a fully compostable product that has been designed for products with shorter lifespan.
Malai products are unique. Which are the other competing products/materials in terms of pricing and environmental benefits?
There are many interesting emerging materials out there. However only few are offered commercially or produced at a scale which offers material at a manufacturing price. We are comparable to materials like Pinatex, mushroom leather and similar other products.
What is your business model?
We work mostly B2B supplying materials to other businesses. However, we have also been slowly developing a B2B channel, in particular with our offer of accessories under label Malai Studio.
Which countries/regions are your main markets? Any plans to expand in other regions?
Currently, our main markets are India, North America, Europe, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, etc.
Published on: 10/03/2022
DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.
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