Melina Bucher uses Innovera in woven shoulder bag

German accessories label Melina Bucher has introduced the Arch Woven, a rounded shoulder bag made using Innovera, a suede-like material developed by biotechnology company Modern Meadow. The bag features narrow strips of the material cut and interlaced by hand, demonstrating its ability to withstand repeated tension while maintaining its structure.

Founder and creative director Melina Bucher described weaving as a test of a material’s performance, as it must be cut into strips, stretched and shaped without losing its form. The Arch Woven application tests the material’s suitability for a more demanding construction technique than a conventional smooth surface, requiring flexibility and structural stability during cutting and weaving.

Based in New Jersey, Modern Meadow produces Innovera using plant-based proteins, biopolymers and recycled rubber. The company states that the material contains more than 80% renewable carbon, a measure of the carbon’s origin rather than the proportion of plant-based content by total weight.

The bags are made to order at Melina Bucher’s atelier in Mannheim, Germany. According to the company, a standard bag involves approximately 50 components and eight hours of handwork, with the woven design requiring additional time. The launch demonstrates Innovera’s workability in a small-batch accessories application, although its performance and scalability in larger production settings remain to be established.